Another Nakama
by QPython
Summary: There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line on the adventure of a lifetime to make their dreams come true. INCLUDES ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
1. Prologue

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Summary:** There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line on the adventure of a lifetime to make their dreams come true.

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

Okay, now that all that stuff's out of the way I think I'll explain what this story is going to be about and what you can expect from it. This is my second solo project on FanFiction, my other work includes my 'Can I Ask You Something?' trilogy in the Wrestling Section. I'd like to think my writing improved during the three years I worked on it. One Piece has been my favorite anime for years now and I have planned on doing this story for a while. I want to be upfront with what this story is about and how I plan on writing it, that way no one is disappointed with what happens. Here's what you can expect…

To be blunt, this will be a rewrite of the series with the inclusion of an additional character who will be my OC. My OC will be on the Straw Hat crew from almost the very beginning and will be a main character, but the story will still revolve around Luffy and his dream to be King of the Pirates. I plan on giving my OC as much character development as any other character, he has a dream, he'll get stronger and mature throughout the series, and he'll even have a 'character origin flashback' at one point. I'll probably be breaking the story up into parts according to the seasons and different story arcs. _This_ story will cover the East Blue Saga. If you're a fan of the One Piece series you'll know that it's really long, about five/six hundred manga chapters, if I attempted to make this all one story I'd be up to chapter 200 by the end of the Alabasta arc.

I'm American, I speak English, the French I remember from high school, and the Spanish I'm attempting to learn in college. I live in New Jersey and I'm part Italian, part Czech, part Irish, and part Swiss. I do NOT speak Japanese and I will not be attempting to speak it in this story. The only things that will be in Japanese here are the names of fighting styles and sword names. Attacks will also be in English, with the exception of Sanji's 'French' attack names and Robin's 'Spanish'. However, the word 'Nakama' will still be Japanese, I feel that it is an important concept in the story and I will not translate it to something like 'shipmate'. Nakama means comrades, friends, and people who are considered closer than family. It wouldn't feel right to use another word since it's such an important part of the series.

My OC's name is Ricky, it's not very Japanese but I have my reasons. He has no known last name like a lot of characters in the series and lives in Fuchsia Village where he was raised from age 3 to 9 by his Aunt Makino in her tavern. He's almost two years older than Luffy and acts as another older brother to him. Ricky is going to be a Treasure Hunter, the difference between a treasure hunter and a pirate is that a treasure hunter sails the world searching for treasure's that no one has ever found or heard of before, while a pirate is typically seen as a dirty cut-throat that will do anything and kill anyone to get treasure. (Indiana Jones could be considered a Treasure Hunter.)

Another important concept in One Piece are people's dreams, everyone on the Straw Hat Crew has a big dream so Ricky has one as well. Ricky's dream is to _**FIND**_ the One Piece. As a treasure hunter, Ricky's dream is to _**FIND**_ the biggest and most valuable treasure in the world, the One Piece.

That's all for now, I just wanted to let everyone know what they're in for with this story. Everyone who's still here allow me to present QPython's _Another Nakama_.

In the words of Heath Ledger, _**"And here… we… go!"**_

**-x-**

**Chapter I: Romance Dawn**

The King of the Pirates, Gold Roger had it all. Wealth, fame, and power, had all been his. He had obtained everything the world had to offer and his dying words drove countless souls to the seas.

"_You want my treasure? You can have it. I left everything I gathered together in __**one place**__. Now you just have to find it."_

These words lured men to the Grand Line in pursuit of dreams greater than they'd ever dared to imagine. This is the time known as the Great Pirate Era!

**-x-**

Our story starts in a small harbor village called Fuchsia Village twenty-two years later. About one year ago a pirate ship landed here. A wind blows from the East and the village is at peace.

"Oi! What are you doing Luffy?" a pirate asked a small black haired boy who was standing on top of the bowsprit.

"I've had it with you guys! Now you'll have to take me seriously!" the boy exclaimed, his name was Monkey D. Luffy. His name was fitting, because this boy looked a lot like a monkey. Luffy was wearing a white t-shirt with the word 'Anchor' on the front and a pair of blue shorts, he currently had a small knife in his hand and was prepared to do something drastic. "This is how tough I am!"

"Dahahaha, go for it!" a pirate wearing a straw hat encouraged him, he didn't know what Luffy was planning but figured it'd be amusing, "let's see what you're gonna do!"

"Is that boy going to do something funny again?" questioned another pirate.

"Luffy, I'm not sure this is such a good idea," came the voice of another small boy. His name was Ricky, he had red hair and closely resembled a fox. He and Luffy, despite not being blood related, were brothers in the truest sense of the word, and right now Ricky's big hazel eyes were filled with worry for his younger brother. "Don't do something this stupid!"

But Luffy didn't listen, and to the shock of all the pirates, he took the knife and cut himself under his eye.** SLIK!**

"YEEEOOOOWWW!" Luffy screamed.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Ricky muttered while Luffy screamed in pain.

"WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?" the pirate with the straw hat shouted. "YOU DUMB-ASS!"

**-x-**

Later in a small pub the pirates and the two boys had gathered and were celebrating. "Cheers! To Luffy's… um… courage… and our great voyage!"

Inside the pub all of the pirates were drinking, eating and having a great time. Luffy was sitting on a stool next to the pirate with the straw hat.

"It didn't hurt a bit!" Luffy bragged to anyone who would listen.

"Liar!" the pirate with the straw hat snapped, "don't do anything so stupid again!"

"I'm not afraid of pain!" said Luffy, "Take me with you on your next voyage! I wanna be a pirate too!"

"Dahahaha! You can't handle being a pirate!" the pirate wearing the straw hat laughed. He was wearing a long black coat over a white button down shirt, grey pants, and a red sash. The pirate had three parallel scars going down his left eye, it looked like some pirate had attempted to scratch his eye out at one point. He also had a head of deep red hair which he got his nickname 'Red Haired' Shanks. He was the Captain of this pirate crew called the Red Haired Pirates. "Luffy, the reason we call you _'Anchor'_ is because you can't swim! Not being able to swim is a pirate's greatest weakness!"

"But if I don't fall overboard then I'll be fine," Luffy pointed out, "then it doesn't matter if I'm an anchor. I'm a strong fighter! Ricky and I have been training and my punch is as strong as a pistol!"

"A pistol?" Shanks repeated, "Is that so?" He didn't really seem too interested.

"What kind of a tone is that!" Luffy demanded.

"Calm down, Luffy," a pirate called out, "let's just have a good time!"

"Yeah, pirates always have a good time," added Lucky Roux, a fat pirate wearing goggles and green and white striped clothing. He almost always appeared to be eating large hunk of meat. "the sea is vast and there's lots of islands to explore."

"And best of all, pirates have freedom!" another pirate chimed in.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed as he listened to the pirates.

"You guys stop giving him dumb ideas!" Shanks scolded his crew.

"But its true!" a pirate protested.

"Captain, let's take the lad with us just this once," Lucky Roux suggested.

"Aye!" another pirate agreed.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered as he jumped off of his stool.

"Alright," Shanks relented, "but one of you will have to stay behind."

That got 'em.

"Haha, sorry lad, you've been beached," the pirates laughed before turning away, "let's drink!"

"I thought you guys were on my side!" Luffy whined.

"You're just too young," Shanks told him, "maybe in about ten years I'll give you a chance."

"Darn it Shanks!" Luffy snapped, "I'm telling you I'm not a little kid!"

"Don't get upset," said Shanks in an attempt to calm Luffy. "Here, have some juice!"

Luffy took the glass and quickly downed it, causing Shanks to burst out laughing. "Dahahahaha! See!" Shanks laughed, "a real pirate would never drink juice!"

"That was a dirty trick!" Luffy yelled.

"Hmph, I'm getting tired of this!" Luffy complained to himself as he got up walked away from the counter. "I even stabbed myself and he still won't take me with him! I wonder what Ricky's up to?"

Luffy wandered through the tables of pirates and found his partner in crime sitting at a table playing cards with a blond-haired man wearing a blue shirt and a bandana that read 'Yasopp'. It was fitting because that was the pirate's name.

"Hey Luffy," Ricky greeted him. "I'm just about to win Yasopp's treasure." Ricky pointed to the large sack of gold coins that was lying on the table.

"Yeah right," **HIC** "you'll never beat my hand!" the more-than-slightly drunk Yasopp boasted. "I won't lose to a kid!" **HIC!** "I've won thousands of—" **HIC!** "Thousands of card—" **HIC! **"…games before!"

"I'm sure you have," Ricky agreed condescendingly, the drunk pirate didn't notice. "Say… weren't you just saying something about a kid of your own?"

"Oh yeah," said Yasopp. **HIC!** "I have a boy of my own, he's about Luffy's—" **HIC!** "—age, his name's Usopp…" **HIC!** While Yasopp went off and told his story Ricky caught Luffy's eye and motioned to the cards Yasopp was holding. Luffy went peered at the pirate's cards while he was distracted with the telling of his story, then whispered to Ricky what he saw. "… It was heartbreaking—" **HIC!** "—leaving my boy, BUT WHEN THE PIRATE FLAG BECKONS… " **HIC!** "… YOU MUST HEED ITS CALL!"

"You've got that right," Ricky agreed as he glanced at his cards. "Yasopp, do you want to go all in? If you wager all of your treasure, I'll bet an entire barrel of my Aunt's best grog."

"You mean…" **HIC!** "…the stuff from the North Blue?' questioned Yasopp.

"Yup," Ricky replied.

"For all my treasure?" Yasopp clarified.

"What's the matter Yasopp? Are you scared you'll lose to a kid like me?" Ricky teased him, there was no mistaking the sly grin on his face. "I thought you said you had a great hand? Where's that confidence now?"

"Alright fine, I'm all in," Yasopp conceded, taking Ricky's bait, he put his cards down. "Read 'em and weep."

"I WIN!" Ricky exclaimed as he put his cards down.

"WHAT?" Yasopp shrieked as he stared at Ricky's cards. "You brat! How could I lose to a nine year old?"

"Thank you, Yasopp," said Ricky as he flashed the pirate a foxy smile, then took the sack of treasure from the table and hopped off of his stool. He and Luffy headed off into the crowd of pirates.

"There's bound to be over ten thousand berries in here," Ricky commented as he shook the sack of gold. Then he turned and glanced at his brother, "So what's going on Luffy?"

"I've had it with Shanks," Luffy replied. "He always treats me like a dumb kid. I even stabbed myself today and he still won't take me with him!"

"Well, stabbing yourself probably wasn't one of your best ideas," Ricky pointed out.

"**Luffy,"** came the voice of a pirate with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, as he lit up a cigarette. This pirate's name was Benn Beckman and he was Shanks' First Mate. "Shanks is just trying to do what's best for everyone."

"How do you figure?" asked Luffy as both he and Ricky turned to the First Mate.

"The safety of the entire crew rests on his shoulders," Beckman explained, "being a pirate isn't all fun and games you know. A pirate's life is hard and very dangerous. Do you understand? He doesn't purposely tease your ambitions of being a pirate."

"I don't believe it!" Luffy snapped, "Shanks just likes to make me look like an idiot!"

"Oi Anchor!" called out Shanks from across the pub. "DAHAHAHA!"

"See," Luffy complained.

"Captain, you seem to be happy as always," Makino observed, the woman who owned the pub as she reentered the room carrying a barrel of grog with her. Coincidentally, she was also Ricky's Aunt and the only living relative that he knew of. While she and Ricky didn't exactly look alike with her dark green, almost black, hair in comparison to Ricky's red, her sister, Ricky's mother, was known to look and act like a female version of Ricky.

"Dahahahaha! Boy, I just love making fun of this kid!" Shanks laughed.

"Hmm, maybe the lad's got a point," Beckman whispered to Ricky as Luffy glared at Shanks and stormed back over to the bar. "What are you doing with all that gold?"

"I won it fair and square," Ricky insisted. "Its not my fault Yasopp can't hold his liquor."

"What's a nine year old going to do with that much money?" asked Beckman.

"I'm saving up to buy a sword," Ricky explained. "Then I can go after some _real_ treasure."

"A sword, eh?" Beckman replied as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Those things can be quite dangerous, and fighting other swordsman can be really harmful to your health."

"So can smoking, but you still do it," Ricky countered.

"Ah, touché," Beckman admended with a smile as Ricky walked off after Luffy.

"Luffy, would you like to eat something?" asked Makino, Luffy was once again sitting on his stool at the counter.

"Okay! I'll pay you with my Treasure Tab!" Luffy assured her.

"Treasure Tab?" questioned Shanks, "look Luffy, don't try to swindle the lady!"

"I'm not!" Luffy protested, "I'm going to become a pirate, and I'll pay her with the treasure I find."

"Hah-ha, I'll be waiting," Makino agreed.

"For the record," said Ricky as he came over and ducked around to the other side of the counter. "The treasure _I_ find will be worth ten times what yours is. Everything on Shanks' ship will be considered pocket change." Ricky opened a safe that was situated behind the bar and put the sack of gold he had won from Yasopp inside and locked it.

"Why don't you just find the One Piece then?" Shanks joked.

"That could work," Ricky commented with a thoughtful expression.

"Dahahahaha!" Shanks laughed at his fellow red-head. "You're almost as bad as he is! You could never find the One Piece!" Unlike Luffy, Ricky understood that Shanks was just teasing and that he wasn't purposely mocking the boy's dreams. He didn't let it get to him.

Makino shook her head at her nephew then glanced out at the pirates, "Ricky, would you mind taking this grog out to the pirates?" Makino lifted a barrel up onto the counter. "They're probably running low."

"Yes, Aunt Makino," said Ricky as he hopped the counter and took the large barrel of grog from Makino and went off into the crowd of pirates.

**-x-**

A little while later the pirates were still in the pub. Almost all of the grog was gone and both Ricky and Luffy were sitting on stools next to Shanks. Well, Luffy was sitting next to Shanks, Ricky was sitting on a stool staring at a small treasure chest that was on the counter in front of him.

"Shanks…" said Luffy as he took a bite of some steak.

"Yeah kid?"

"How much longer are you gonna stay at this village?" asked Luffy.

"Let's see…" Shanks thought out loud. "We've been using this town as out base for about a year. After a few more voyages and I plan on leaving and heading north."

"A few more huh?" questioned Luffy as he stuffed the rest of his steak in his mouth. "I'll learn how to swim by then."

"That's good kid, do whatever you want," said Shanks, who wasn't really paying attention.

**KREEK! **The swinging doubled doors of the pub were opened and a large group of people entered. **"Make way for the scourge of the mountains!"** called the man leading the group. Most of the people in the group were wearing white bandanas, except for one person who appeared to be the leader, he was wearing a big brown coat, had black hair with a bun in it and a black beard, he also had a sword.

"So you call yourselves pirates?" questioned the leader. "This is the first time I've seen pirates, and you look like a sorry lot to me."

Everyone in the pub turned to watch the man walk up to the counter, everyone except two boys. "Hey Ricky, whatcha got there?" Luffy inquired.

"I don't know," said Ricky. "But I think it's valuable."

Luffy peered into the chest in front of Ricky. "You dummy, it's a weird fruit," Luffy pointed out. "I bet it tastes great, why else would Shanks have it?" Luffy fished into the chest and pulled out the fruit.

**WHAP! **Ricky slapped Luffy's wrist and took the fruit away from him.

"What was that for?" Luffy yelped as he waved his hand in front of him.

Ricky stared Luffy directly in the eye and said, "No Luffy. Don't eat it, it's giving me the creeps!"

"Ricky, I'm hungry," Luffy complained, "this'll be dessert. You can have some if you want."

"I don't want it," said Ricky as he skillfully slid the chest out of Luffy's reach. "We don't know what it is."

"But I'm huuuunnnngrrrryyyyy…" Luffy whined.

"You just ate a bunch of meat," Ricky reminded him. "But if that's not enough, I'll get you something else. But at least ask Shanks before you try to eat that thing… it could be poison."

Meanwhile the mountain bandits were still addressing the pirates, "We're bandits," the leader announced. His name was Higuma 'the Bear'. "We're not here to cause trouble, we just want ten barrels of grog."

"Sorry," Makino apologized. "But we are out of liquor."

"Oh?" questioned Higuma, "Then what are these pirates drinking? Water?"

"Its grog," Makino admitted, "But that's the last of what I had stocked up."

Ricky let go of the fruit and stood up, ready to defend his Aunt if necessary. But as a result, he completely forgot about the fruit, and without Ricky stopping him, Luffy was able to eat it uninterrupted. **CHOMP!MUNCH!GULP!**

"My apologies gentlemen," said Shanks, who was sitting at the bar on a stool next to Higuma, "Looks like me and my friends drank the whole place dry." Shanks reached down and offered the bandit leader the unopened bottle of grog in front of him. "Why don't you have this? It's still unopened."

**SMASH!** In response Higuma took the bottle and smashed it over Shanks' head, soaking the captain with grog. Everyone in the pub stood and stared, wondering what was going to happen. Luffy stopped eating the fruit and waited to see what Shanks would do. But he just sat there with grog dripping off of his straw hat.

"What do you take me for, a fool?" Higuma demanded. "One bottle is not enough!"

"See this?" asked Higuma as he pulled out a wanted picture with his face on it. "I've got an eight million berri bounty on my head! I'm one of the prime fugitives here. I've killed fifty-six people before, mostly cocky bastards like you!"

"Just great," Shanks complained, not really caring about the bandit. "Now the floor is all wet."

Higuma turned and glared at Shanks as alcohol dripped down off of his straw hat, "Watch yourself if you're fond of breathing. After all, Mountain Bandits and Sea Pirates don't mingle well."

Shanks didn't really seem to care, and instead moved down onto the floor and picked up some of the broken pieces of glass. "Sorry about the mess Makino, give me a rag and I'll clean it."

"D-don't worry Shanks," Ricky stammered, as he slowly walked over to the spill, and the bandit standing near it, "I c-can get it."

**SWOOOSH!** Ricky quickly dropped down to the floor as Higuma pulled out his sword and swung it over his head. **CRASH! SMASH! **The bandit knocked plates off of a nearby table and into Shanks, creating an even bigger mess. "So you like cleaning?" Higuma taunted Shanks. "That'll keep you busy for a while."

Everyone was still as Higuma turned away and left the bar with his gang of bandits, "Farewell, cowards!" Higuma taunted as he walked out.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Makino asked Shanks as she ran out from behind the counter. "Did you get hurt?"

"No I'm fine," said Shanks. "Phew." This prompted all of the pirates (and Ricky) to start laughing.

"Hohoho! Captain, he got you good!" Lucky Roux laughed.

"Hah-ha, did you see the look on his face?" Ricky chuckled to the fat pirate. "That bandit nearly threw a tantrum, and Shanks just sat there!"

"Ahahahahaha! What a loser!" Yasopp laughed.

"Dahahahaha!" Shanks laughed along with his crew and the nine-year-old as he dumped the grog off of his straw hat.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" Luffy demanded, causing everyone in the tavern to turn and stare at him. "What's so funny? You should've fought back Shanks. I doesn't matter who strong they look or how many they are, if you just laugh it up you're not a man… or pirate!"

"Luffy it's just…" Ricky started to say, but he was quickly silenced by the glare Luffy sent him.

"Look I know how you feel," said Shanks as he put his hat back on. "But they guy just spilled booze on me, its nothing to get worked up about. Maybe when you get older you understand."

Luffy still didn't understand and turned to leave, but Shanks grabbed his arm to stop him. "Oi, where're you going?"

"To find a real role model!" Luffy snapped as he kept walking. But Shanks didn't let go of Luffy's arm. Everyone was shocked as Luffy's arm stretched as he kept walking.

"His arm… it's stretching!" Shanks exclaimed. "Does this mean…"

"He couldn't have!" said a shocked pirate.

"What's wrong with me?" a scared Luffy asked.

"IT'S GONE" Lucky Roux yelled, he took a break from eating and peered into the empty chest the fruit had been in. "The Gum Gum Fruit we took from that enemy ship isn't here! Luffy, you didn't eat that fruit did you?" Lucky Roux held up a picture of the fruit Luffy had just eaten.

"Yes…" Luffy admitted, "I had it for dessert. It didn't taste all the great though."

"That's the Gum Gum Fruit!" Shanks exclaimed as he grabbed Luffy and held him up in front of him, "It's one of the Fruits of the Devil. It's one of the secret treasures of the sea! Whoever eats it will turn into a rubber man, and will never be able to swim!"

"What? You're kidding me right?" Luffy pleaded as his rubber jaw, literally, hit the floor.

Shanks grabbed Luffy and turned him upside down, then started shaking him, "Spit it out!" Shanks ordered he shook the boy by his ankles, "Luffy spit it out now!" **THUD! **Luffy's rubber neck stretched and his head ended up hitting the floor. He couldn't spit the fruit out, now he'd never be able to swim and would be made out of rubber for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry, Shanks," Ricky apologized, "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen."

**-x-**

A few days later the pirates had left. It was the middle of the day and Ricky and Luffy were heading into town to get some fish.

"Hey Mr. Fish Monger! Gimme some fish!" Luffy called out when they came to the Fish Monger's shop.

"Hey Rubber Boy!" the Fish Monger taunted him, "Why are you in such a good mood lately? Didn't those pirates set sail without you? And you won't be able to swim for the rest of your life!"

"Don't make fun of him," Ricky growled, immediately coming to the defense of his younger brother, "He'll just be a pirate who never falls overboard!"

"I'm glad I ate the Gum Gum Fruit! Look at what I can do," with that Luffy reached up and grabbed his cheeks, then pulled them in opposite directions, stretching his face in a weird shape. **WUUURRRK!**

"What's so great about that?" asked an old man, called Woop Slap. He was the Mayor of Fuchsia Village, he had short gray hair and a red and white striped hat. "You think being gawked at like some kind of a freak is cool? This village doesn't need any more idiots!"

"Good morning, Mr. Mayor," Ricky greeted the mayor with a forced smile.

The Mayor glared at the two boys and continued his rant, "I'm telling you boys for the last time, don't become pirates! It'll give this town a bad reputation! Now that Captain's not such a bad fellow, but you boys stay away from those pirates!"

Ricky glared at the Mayor while Luffy stuck out his tongue. They didn't care what he thought. They were both gonna be pirates, even if one of them would never be able to swim. Ricky was still able to learn and neither of them was going to abandon their dream.

"What ever you say old man," Ricky agreed with a shake of his head, he and Luffy quickly turned and left.

"Well?" asked Luffy as he glanced at his brother while they walked down the street together.

Ricky grinned and once the mayor was out of sight and earshot he pulled a wallet out of his pocket. "Lunch is on me. Well… actually, it's on the Mayor, he just doesn't know it."

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Forget the fish, I want meat!"

**-x-**

Days later, Shanks still hadn't come back. Ricky and Luffy were once again at Makino's tavern. Well, Luffy was visiting… Ricky and Makino lived there. Luffy was sitting on a stool having a drink while Ricky was helping Makino wash some dishes.

"They've been away for a while now," said Luffy in a sad tone.

"Do you miss them, Luffy?" asked Makino.

"No!" Luffy replied. "After the way those Mountain Bandits humiliated them? Not at all! I really overestimated Shanks. I though he was a tough pirate."

"But Luffy I keep telling you, it was just some grog," Ricky tried to explain. "the guy was a loser. There are some fights that just aren't worth fighting."

"Luffy, sometimes it takes courage not to fight," Makino suggested.

"You guys just don't understand," Luffy insisted. "A real man has to stand up for himself, no matter what."

"Luffy, what would've happened if they _did_ fight them?" Ricky asked.

"Shanks would've kicked his ass!" Luffy answered immediately.

"You're probably right," Ricky agreed, "but if Shanks started fighting with the leader, then the other bandits would've gotten involved. And if the other bandits got involved, the other pirates would've gotten involved. Then we would've had a huge brawl going on inside our tavern. Stuff would've been broken, booze would've been spilled, just because Shanks had to lower himself to fighting on the level of some loser."

"And it would've taught him a lesson!" Luffy pointed out.

"Luffy, some people never learn," Ricky explained, "the guy thinks he's really tough, is Shanks beat him up, he wouldn't learn anything, he would've just gotten angry. Then what would we do if Shanks wasn't around and he came back? You and I can't fight an entire group of bandits, even if you are made of rubber."

"What makes you think he'll come back?" questioned Luffy.

**KREK! **Ricky was saved from answered when the door opened, a familiar voice called out, **"Make way for the terror of the highlands!"**

Makino, Luffy, and Ricky turned to see Higuma and his gang of mountain bandits walk into the tavern. "No pirates today, huh? Smells better…" Higuma remarked, "We're back again!"

"What are you waiting for?" Higuma demanded as he and his bandits sat at the tables. "We're customers, bring us drinks!" Ricky shook his head then grabbed a barrel of grog and headed over to the bandits.

"You do plan on paying, right?" Ricky asked as he cautiously approached the large group of bandits. "The pirates always paid fifteen thousand berries for every barrel of grog and they always did it upfront. Usually they'd just pay three hundred thousand berries since they drink almost everything we have."

"What's you're point, brat?" Higuma growled.

"Well, pirates are considered to be the low-lives of the sea," Ricky pointed out. "But they always paid and they did it up front. You mountain bandits aren't worse than pirates are you?"

"I'M BETTER THAN ANY PIRATE!" Higuma yelled, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. "Here's five hundred thousand berries… up front. That'll teach you boys the difference between sea pirates and mountain bandits."

"_Well I certainly learned something,"_ Ricky thought to himself as he took the money and went to get another barrel, there was a sly grin on his face as he counted the money.

"Ricky…" Makino scolded quietly, "You know I only charge the pirates five thousand berries a barrel."

"I know that," Ricky agreed, "But he doesn't."

**-x-**

A little while later, Makino came rushing into the Mayor's house, "Mayor, hurry! Something bad has happened!"

"What's wrong Makino?" asked the Mayor.

"Luffy was kidnapped by mountain bandits!" Makino exclaimed.

**-x-**

In the middle of town Higuma was hitting and beating up Luffy. "What an interesting body," Higuma commented, "it seems like kicking and punching won't do it any harm."

"Hey we gotta go help Luffy!" one villager shouted to another.

"But they're bandits we could get killed!" the other villager protested, "besides, Luffy's the one who started the fight."

"DAMN IT! YOU'D BETTER APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW, YOU BASTARD!" Luffy shouted as he swung at Higuma, who was casually holding Luffy's rubber cheek.

"He's a rubber man," Higuma observed as he stretched Luffy's rubber face. "Who would've thought such a thing existed in this world?" Higuma suddenly threw Luffy, causing him to bounce away like a rubber ball.

"DAMN IT!" Luffy cursed, "YOU'LL BE SORRY FOR THIS!"

'"Hahaha! I've discovered a new form of life," Higuma laughed ignoring Luffy's threats, "if I sell him to a circus, I can sure get a lot of money."

Luffy got back up and charged at Higuma with a stick, "What a stubborn little brat," Higuma muttered as he took his foot and drove it down onto Luffy's head, pinning the rubber boy to the ground, **SQUISH!**

"We were just having a good time drinking and talking," Higuma told him. "Did we say something to offend you?"

"YES YOU DID!" Luffy shouted from under the bandit's foot, "APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW! MOVE YOUR FOOT YOU STINKING MOUNTAIN APE!"

"**Let the boy go!"** the Mayor yelled as he ran up with Makino, but then noticed how many bandits there were and added, "Please?" The Mayor paused then continued, "I don't know what Luffy did, and I don't want to fight you, but I'm willing to pay," Woop Slap dropped to the ground and bowed to the bandit, "So please, let the boy go."

"Mayor!" Luffy called out from under the bandit's foot.

"As one would expect, it's the elders that know how to deal with a situation," Higuma commented. "But it's too late, no one can save this brat now! He's done the unpardonable… he attacked me… and he called me names. I can't take that from this little rubber-spined freak!"

"You started this, you bastard!" Luffy insisted, "You big smelly ape!"

"That does it!" Higuma snarled, "I'm not gonna sell you! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Luffy!" the Mayor cried out. "Please, let him go!

"**I was wondering what had Ricky so worried,"** came the voice of Shanks as he appeared with Ricky at his side, "And this is why… hey you guys are the bandits from the other day!" While Makino had run to get the Mayor, Ricky had run to the other end of the port somehow he just knew Shanks was coming back, it was as if he could feel it.

"Captain," said Makino, who was noticeably relieved.

"Luffy what's wrong?" Shanks teased the boy. "Isn't your punch as powerful as a pistol?"

"Shut up!" Luffy snapped.

"Pirate?" questioned Higuma, "Taking a break from your cleaning duties are you? I suggest you leave right now, if you get any closer, I might have to open fire, you coward."

"Didn't you hear him?" a bandit taunted as he held a pistol to Shanks' head, "Don't come any closer… or I'll blow your head off! Ha ha!"

"You putting your life on the line by pointing that gun at me," said Shanks in a calm voice.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" questioned the bandit.

"I'm saying it's not safe to point guns," said Shanks in the same calm voice, **KA-BOOM!** Lucky Roux, who was once again eating a big slab of meat, suddenly came from behind and shot the bandit in the head.

"Now you've done it bastard!" one of the bandits complained as the one who had been aiming the pistol at Shanks fell to the ground dead. "That was dirty!"

**"Dirty?"** came the voice of Benn Beckman as he and the rest of the red haired pirates walked up behind their Captain. "Don't make us laugh. You're not dealing with Saints here."

"We're pirates," Shanks pointed out, "and we don't play by the rules!"

"Shut up! This is none of your business!" a bandit yelled.

"Listen well bandits," Shanks instructed. "You can throw food at me or dump drinks on me, you can even spit on me. I'll just laugh that stuff off, but… GOOD REASON OR NOT… NO ONE HURTS A FRIEND OF MINE!"

"Haha, nice speech," Higuma chuckled, he wasn't intimidated, "You pirates spend your time floating around in your little ships, and you think you can stand up to us? KILL THEM!"

"DIE!" a swarm of bandits shouted as they charged at Shanks.

"Captain, I'll take care of this," Benn Beckman volunteered as he walked passed Shanks, holding his rifle with him. Benn took his cigarette out of his mouth, then pressed it into the forehead of one of the bandits. Benn was only using one arm but was still holding back the bandit, who had only managed to put out Benn's cigarette with his struggles. Benn suddenly pushed the bandit backwards and knocked him down to the ground, while tossing his extinguished cigarette to the side.

The rest of the bandits charge forward at Beckman but suddenly Ricky climbed up onto the First Mate's shoulders and jumped off. **KRASH!** Ricky took two bandits by surprise and knocked them down to the ground. Beckman smiled for a second, while the bandits paused and were surprised that a nine year old boy had taken out two of them. **WHAM! **Beckman swung his rifle like a club and knocked down all of the other bandits with one swing.

"You were saying something about mountain bandits and pirates?" questioned Benn as he lit up another cigarette and stared down at the fallen bandits. "If you want to fight us, you'd better bring a warship!"

"Wow, that was cool" Luffy exclaimed, he was still pinned under Higuma's foot.

"Ricky!" Makino scolded, "You're going to be in a lot of trouble when this is over!"

"It was worth it," Ricky replied. His brother was in danger, he didn't care if he got in trouble for defending him. It wouldn't be first time.

"But, wait a minute…" Higuma protested, NOW he was in intimidated. One man and some kid had just taken out his entire gang of bandits. "…the brat started it."

"It doesn't matter," Shanks stated, his voice became casual again, "there's a reward on your head isn't there?"

**FWOOOSH! **Higuma was really scared and thought quickly then smashed a smoke bomb down to the ground, "IT'S A SMOKE BOMB!" Shanks shouted as the smoke hid Higuma and Luffy from view. But didn't hide their voices…

"**C'mere kid!"**

"**HEY! LET GO!"**

When the smoke cleared, both Higuma and Luffy were gone. "LUFFY!" Shanks and Ricky shouted at the same time.

"Oh crap!" Shanks cursed, "We got careless, he took Luffy! What should we do?"

"Captain, don't panic!" Lucky Roux tried to consol him, "Let's split up and find them!"

Benn simple shook his head and smiled, "That Captain…"

"Um… Shanks …" Ricky chimed in. "He's a Mountain Bandit, trying to run away and hide, right?"

"Right," Shanks answered, "What's your point, kid?"

"Well, where's the last place you'd look for a _**Mountain**_ Bandit?" questioned Ricky. Shanks stared at him, then smiled when he caught on.

**-x-**

"Hahaha! What a brilliant escape," Higuma laughed as he and Luffy floated in a little boat out in the harbor. "No one would've expected a Mountain Bandit to escape by sea."

"Well I only used you as a hostage," said Higuma as he turned to Luffy. "But you're useless now! I've killed fifty-six people who were foolish enough to make me mad. What's one more?"

"GO TO HELL!" Luffy shouted as he went to punch the bandit, but was merely kicked out of the boat and into the water.

"Ha, good riddance," Higuma chuckled.

"Damn it!" Luffy complained as he desperately tried to stay above the water. "YOU BASTARD! You said they were cowards! But you didn't even have the guts to fight them!"

Higuma stood in the boat and laughed at the events that had happened earlier that day…

**-My very first flashback-**

"Remember the expression on those pirates' faces the other day?" Higuma asked his bandit buddies as they sat around a bunch of tables in the tavern, "he didn't even say anything after getting hit by a bottle. What a gutless pansy! Cowards like that make me sick. I wanted to kill him! Pirates are all talk!"

"Boy! More grog!" a pair of nameless bandits called out to Ricky. He was about to comply, but then he noticed the expression on Luffy's face and quickly grabbed onto the back of his shirt to keep him from doing anything hasty.

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Luffy yelled as he rushed at Higuma, dragging Ricky along behind him despite the other boy's attempts to hold him back, "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE SHANKS! HE'S NOT A COWARD! STOP TALKING BAD ABOUT HIM!"

**-End of my very first flashback-**

Luffy continued to struggle to stay a float, but was sinking fast. The Gum Gum Fruit had cursed him so he'd never be able to swim. But suddenly, something started rising out of the water. Higuma turned in shock as he came face to fa—uh… teeth with the Sea Monster that lived in the harbor. "Wh-where did it come from?"

But that was Higuma's last thought, **CHOMP!** The giant sea monster lunged forward and swallowed the entire boat, the mountain bandit with it. But the eel-like monster wasn't full yet and set its sights on Luffy.

"S-SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Luffy screamed. The Neptunian lunged forward looking to eat Luffy, **CHOMP!**

But before the sea monster could eat him, Luffy was yanked out of the way. Luffy turned to look at his savior and suddenly exclaimed, "SHANKS!"

"**Get lost!"** said Shanks, his straw hat was nowhere in sight and he looked like someone you didn't want to cross. The gigantic eel that was over fifty-times Shanks' size paused and stared into the pirate's eyes. Then to Luffy's astonishment, it dove into the water and swam away.

"Wow," came the equally astonished voice of Ricky, who was bobbing in the water and had come out to help Luffy, despite the fact that he was being held captive by a bandit, and that it was a known fact that a monster lived in the harbor. This was why most of the villagers weren't too eager to learn how to swim. Ricky had learned in a small pond he and Luffy had found a bit away from the village.

"Thanks Luffy," said Shanks, "Makino and Ricky told me everything. You stood up for me." But while he was talking Luffy started sniffing and sobbed.

"Holy crap!" Ricky gasped as he saw what Luffy was crying about.

"Hey stop crying," Shanks reassured Luffy. "You're a tough guy remember?"

"But… Shanks…" Luffy cried, "YOUR ARM! YOUR AAAARRRRMMMM!"

It was true, in his haste to save Luffy, Shanks' arm had been bitten off and was reduced to a small stub and was still bleeding a quite a bit.

"It's a small price to pay," Shanks assured him. "It's just an arm, I'm just glad you're okay." Rain started falling as Luffy continued crying. Ricky bobbed in the water nearby amazed at what he had just seen. Shanks had sacrificed his arm to save Luffy and had scared off the monster with just a look.

Luffy now understood why Shanks couldn't take him with him. The dangers of the sea were too great, and both he and Ricky were not yet strong enough. But most of all Luffy realized what a great man Shanks was, and vowed to be just like him in the future.

**-x-**

"So you're really leaving this time?" asked Luffy. It was a few days later and Shanks and his pirate crew were setting off, but this time they weren't coming back.

"Yeah," Shanks answereed, "we've stayed here long enough, it's about time we move on. Are you upset?"

"Yes," Ricky admitted, who was as usually at Luffy's side.

"But, we wont force you to take us along anymore," said Luffy, "We're gonna become pirates too!"

"Heh, I wouldn't take you even if you begged me," Shanks teased the boys, "You two don't have what it takes to become a pirate!"

"That's what you think!" Ricky challenged. "But we'll show you! We're gonna lead the way for the next generation of pirates! Just wait, old man!"

"Oi! I'm not old, you brat!" Shanks complained.

"Well one day, I'll find myself a crew that is as strong as yours!" Luffy snapped, "And then I'll find the biggest hoard of treasure in the world…"

"And not just any treasure!" Ricky added, "WE'RE GONNA FIND ONE PIECE!"

"I'LL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy announced. The Rubber Boy's loud claim caused all of the pirates to turn and smile.

"Oh?" questioned Shanks, "You're gonna be better than us, huh? Well then, do me a favor…" Shanks took off his hat and put it on Luffy's head. "Keep this hat safe for me. This hat means a lot to me. Promise you'll give it back to me someday… when you've become a great pirate."

"I have something as well," said Benn Beckman, carrying a box with him. He walked over to Ricky and knelt down front of him. "You fought bravely, and I wanted you to have this."

Beckman opened the box to reveal an unusual sword in a red and black sheath. The blade was that of a thick, curved cutlass, (A/N: A traditional pirate sword) but the handle didn't have the hand guard of a typical cutlass, it had a round guard and was black, it was eight inches long and wrapped in red cloth. From the ruby embedded in the handle to the tip of the curved blade the sword was two feet eight inches, more than half the size of Ricky. But when Beckman pulled it halfway out of the sheath Ricky saw what was really special about the unique looking sword, the curved blade was blood red. "I believe it's called _Akaikyuuketsuki _**(Red Vampire)**. It's a unique blade that I confiscated from a shameful swordsman on one of our more recent adventures. You told me that you were saving up for a sword, so I thought you'd like to have this one."

"Really?" asked Ricky in disbelief.

"The swordsman that wielded this sword was a coward and a cheat," said Beckman. "After seeing you fight those bandits I know that you're at least not one of those. I hope you'll be able to put this sword to better use than he did. If nothing else, you can use it until you have enough money for another sword."

"Wow," Ricky gasped in amazement. "Thanks, old man, I'll make you proud."

"Good," Beckman replied as he handed the box to Ricky. "One day I want to hear stories about a crafty pirate wielding a red sword. Just don't let your Aunt find it, and promise me you won't start using it until you've learned how."

Ricky nodded, "It's a promise."

The Captain and the First Mate smiled at the two boys, then turned and walked towards the ship. Benn whispered quietly to Shanks, "Those kids are going to make something of themselves."

"Yeah," Shanks agreed, "I have no doubt about it. Luffy reminds me of myself when I was a kid."

"PULL UP THE ANCHOR! SET SAIL!" With that, Shanks and his pirate crew were gone, but would never be forgotten. Luffy's journey begins from that exact spot ten years later.

**-x-**

Ten years later at age 17, Luffy set sail on board a small boat. He was wearing a red vest, a pair of blue shorts and sandals, and on his head was Shanks' straw hat. The legend of Straw Hat Luffy was about to begin. Ricky had already left on his own journey and Luffy was looking forward to meeting up with him again.

"He's finally setting out," said Makino as she, the Mayor, and some of the other villagers watched Luffy sail off. "I'm going to miss that rascal."

"He'll ruin this town's reputation!" the Mayor complained, "I never thought he'd really do it."

Out in a small boat in the middle of the harbor a seventeen year old Luffy was happier than ever. "Wow, the weather sure is nice today!" Luffy observed as he stared up at the clear skies. But as he continued sailing something rose from the water. It was the sea monster that Luffy had had his run in with ten years ago. The only difference was a scar the monster had on the side of its face, probably Ricky's handiwork.

"I've been waiting for you sea monster!" Luffy called to it, with a surprising smile, "This is you're unlucky day. I'll show you what I've learned in the passed ten years!"

The Eel-like creature opened his mouth ready to eat Luffy and his boat. But Luffy wasn't afraid he had grown up a lot in these passed ten years and had practiced fighting a lot, so instead of being afraid, Luffy brought back his arm, "GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" Luffy shouted, **POW!** Luffy's rubber arm shot out as fast as a pistol and punched the monster in the side of the face, knocking it out cold. **SPLASH! **The big eel flailed around, then fell back into the water. "How'd that taste? Stupid fish!"

"Hmm, first things first, I'll have to find a crew," Luffy decided, :I think about ten men should do. And I'll need a pirate flag. LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE I COME! I'M GONNA BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

Luffy's tiny boat floats on, his crew yet to be found. Luffy's great voyage of destiny has begun!

**-x-**

That's the first chapter.

I know 'Ricky' is not a terribly Japanese name, but Mohji's giant lion is called Richie which is a derivative of Richard, the same as Ricky. That means it's not unheard of. I put a lot of thought into the name, it wasn't just something I came up with on a whim.

Since berries are usually seen in high amounts I'm going to assume that they're about the same as a Japanese Yen, which means there's are about hundred of them to an American Dollar. So when Ricky won 10,000 berries from Yasopp it was really 100 dollars. And when Higuma overpaid him 500,000 berries for all the grog barrels (which he never really got around to drinking) he paid him 5,000 dollars. I just wanted to say what the currency exchange is so there's no major confusion.

I'm not sure how long I'll do this story for but I've got ideas of what to do with Ricky the Treasure Hunter in all of the arcs so far, so I could go as long as the series does. Like I said in my intro, I'm going to break the story up into parts to keep it from getting too long. I don't know what my update schedule will be like, but I plan on keeping them semi-frequent, I have a few chapters done already so for now frequent updates won't be a problem. I've wanted to do this story for a while now, and I've had a lot of fun writing what I have so far, I don't plan on abandoning it.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	2. Chapter 1

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Summary:** There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line, where they can make their dreams come true.

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

**They Call Him 'Straw Hat' Luffy**

**-x-**

It was another great day and Monkey D. Luffy was drifting along in his tiny sail boat and enjoying the good weather while the waves took him wherever they pleased. But this was no ordinary boy in a boat. This was a boy with a dream and was challenging the vast, treacherous seas in a tiny boat while looking for extraordinary men for his pirate crew.

"Wow, what a great day," Luffy said to himself. He was wearing Shanks' straw hat as well as a button-up red vest, a pair of blue shorts, and a simple pair of sandals. "The weather's so nice. Who'd have thought this voyage would end in disaster so soon."

What Luffy was saying was true because up in front of him was a giant whirlpool, it had already started sucking his tiny boat in, "Hard to believe I'm getting sucked into this giant whirlpool, maybe I was a little careless. I could use somebody to help… but there's nobody around. Oh well, can't be helped."

Despite being doomed to be sucked into a whirlpool, Luffy seemed to be in high spirits. "Down I go!" Luffy exclaimed. "Too bad I can't swim. Hahaha, what was I thinking? In a giant whirlpool it doesn't really matter if I can swim or not." And thus Luffy was sucked into the whirlpool, never to be seen again.

Well… that's highly unlikely. If Luffy died there we wouldn't have much of a story would we?

**-x-**

Sometime later on an uncharted island a pirate ship was anchored. The pirate ship was feminine looking with pink paint, hearts on the sails, and a swan figurehead. The skull and crossbones flag that they were flying featured the skull in a profile view with a heart on the side of its head. The ship was currently at rest but the crew was having some slight problems.

"Why is there dust on my bulwark?" questioned the ship's female captain.

"A thousand pardons, Lady Alvida!" one of her pirates timidly apologized, "I-I thought I'd cleaned every inch of this ship! I'll clean everything all over again! Please…"

"Please what?" the incredibly cruel and incredibly fat, Lady Alvida asked. Alvida was fat with dark hair, bright red lips, fancy clothing, and always wore a white cowboy hat. She was a large woman and was nearly twice the size of her largest pirate. Alvida was given the nickname 'Iron Mace' Alvida for the giant iron mace that she always carried around.

"Please, not the iron mace! I don't wanna die!" the frantic pirate begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. **WONK! **Alvida swung her mace and connected with the pirate's back. The pirate fell to the ground in a heap. Alvida didn't know if he was dead or not, because frankly, she didn't care.

"Coby!" Alvida called out as she turned to a young lavender-haired boy with glasses, a white shirt, and black pants. The timid boy seemed out of place of on the swan-shaped ship that was filled with pirates. "Who is the fairest throughout all the seas?"

"Ahem… why… y-you are Lady Alvida," the nervous boy replied, afraid of what Alvida might do to him. "N-no one compares to you!"

"Correct," Lady Alvida stated, "which why I can not allow **anything** to be dirty. This ship must be as clean and beautiful as I am. Understand? Remember Coby, if it wasn't for your vast knowledge of the seas, I would have fed you to the sharks! But don't push your luck!"

"Y-yes, that's very kind of y-you," Coby replied, who was still very nervous.

"Other than that, you're worthless!" Alvida snarled as she slammed one of her feet down on a box in front of Coby "Now, shine my shoes!"

"Yes, Lady Alvida, right away!" Coby agreed as he quickly went to work. After all he did not want to invoke the wrath of the infamous lady pirate, 'Iron Mace' Alvida. Even though she was unbelievably fat, she had a lot of power and everyone cowered at the sight of her giant mace.

"I don't want to see a speck of dust on this ship!" Alvida announced to her crew.

"Aye aye!" they agreed as they scurried around cleaning as fast as they could.

"That's enough," Alvida snapped as he kicked Coby away with her foot, **THWAK!** "You're pathetic!"

"Heh, heh," Coby laughed nervously, "sorry."

"If you have time to grovel, then you have time to clean the toilet!" Alvida ordered.

"Heh, heh, yes Lady Alvida," Coby answered, "right away!"

**-x-**

A little while later Alvida's ship was docked and the pirates were unloading their stolen treasures into Alvida's keep safe. Coby was rolling a giant barrel filled with something heavy when three of Alvida's pirates cornered him.

"What's that Coby?" one of the pirates inquired, "Did a barrel of grog wash up onto the beach?"

"Y-yes," Coby stammered in reply, "And it's not empty. I wasn't sure what to do with it."

"Well I know what to do with it," said a second pirate, "Let's drink it all!"

"But what if Lady Alvida finds out?" asked the first pirate.

"She'll never find out," the third pirate decided. "We're the only one's here. Just Coby and the three of us know about this."

"I guess you're right," the second pirate relented.

"And you ain't seen nothin', right Coby?" questioned the third pirate as he glared at the small boy.

"Right! I-I ain't seen nothin'!" Coby agreed. "P-please don't hit me…"

**KRECK! **Suddenly the top of the barrel smashed open and a boy of seventeen, wearing a straw hat, red vest, and a pair of blue shorts, popped out. Luffy was alive! "WOOOW! WHAT A GREAT NAP!" Luffy shouted for everyone in the vicinity to hear, "Hmm, it looks like I survived… somehow. Hahaha, I got so dizzy I thought I was gonna barf!"

Then for the first time Luffy noticed the three pirates and the kid, who were all very shocked to see him. "Who are you guys?" asked Luffy, while at the same time the pirates shouted, "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"What are you doing in there?" questioned one of the pirates.

**KA-BLASH! **Lady Alvida came crashing into the shack and kicked the barrel, knocking it over and sending it rolling away. Coby quickly ran after the barrel as Lady Alvida stood over the three pirates.

"Back to work you scurvy dogs!" Alvida ordered, "You lazy swabbies, who is the fairest throughout all the seas?"

"You are Lady Alvida!" the three pirates chorused.

"And you dare to defy me?" Alvida snapped as she glared at one of the pirates.

"W-what? I would never?" the scared pirate stammered in reply

"Don't play dumb!" Alvida growled, "I could hear you talking all the way from the ship. Which one of you had such a 'great nap'?"

The three pirates were terrified, they hadn't said it. That weird boy in the barrel did. "Uh, Captain, we have an intruder," said one of the pirates in an attempt to removed Alvida's wrath from them.

"Yeah," another added. "That good-for-nothing Coby brought that strange feller here!"

"What?" questioned Alvida, "could he be a bounty hunter after the price on my head? Coby! That brat dares to betray me!"

"Could it be him?" one of the pirates wondered, thinking of a famous bounty hunter.

"Nonsense, I heard that he was captured by the marines," another pirate replied.

"If he's the real thing, he must have escaped by now," said Alvida, "That notoriously evil Roronoa Zoro!"

**-x-**

A little while away Coby was talking with the person who actually came out of the barrel, and this guy definitely wasn't a pirate hunter.

"Are you alright?" Coby asked the boy in the barrel, "You got knocked pretty far!"

"Hahaha! I'm fine," Luffy laughed, "I'm just a little dizzy. I'm Luffy, but where am I?"

"This is the hiding ground for 'Iron Mace' Alvida," Coby explained, "I work as a Cabin Boy on the ship. My name's Coby."

"I see," said Luffy as he climbed out of the barrel, "but that's not important."

"What?" questioned Coby. Luffy had been kind of blunt with that remark.

"Do you have a boat?" asked Luffy. "Mine got caught in a whirlpool."

"A w-whirlpool?" Coby repeated. "You got sucked into a whirlpool?"

"Yeah," Luffy answered, "It was really scary."

"A normal person would have died from that!" Coby exclaimed, "You… you want a boat? I have one but…" Coby trailed off as he walked off and showed Luffy a small boat that he had made himself.

"What is it?" asked Luffy, not worried about hurting Coby's feelings, "a coffin?"

"It's a boat I've been secretly working on for two years!" Coby snapped.

"Two years?" questioned Luffy, "And you don't want it any more?"

"Yeah," Coby answered, "I don't want it anymore. I was going to run away in this, but I don't have the guts to do it. I'm going to be a caretaker for the rest of my life. Although, I do have something else I want to do."

"Then you should leave," Luffy stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, I can't!" Coby refused, "Whenever I think of Lady Alvida finding out my legs turn all mushy. I get so scared… that day I was only planning on fishing, but I walked onto her ship instead. And I have to become the cabin boy on the ship for the passed two years to stay alive."

"Hahaha! You're a coward," Luffy laughed, "I don't like you."

At first Coby was upset and shocked at what Luffy had said and how he had said it while laughing, but then he realized what Luffy said was true, "But you're right," Coby admitted, "If only I was brave enough. Luffy, why do you sail?"

"Because… I WANNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy announced.

"What?" Coby exclaimed, "the Pirate King is supposed to be a person who has everything in the world. Are you telling me you're looking for Gold Roger's treasure? _One Piece_? Do you want to die or something? All the pirates on the Grand Line are looking for that treasure!"

"Well, so am I," Luffy replied, he didn't really care about the other pirates. If he came across them, he'd just beat them up.

"Impossible, impossible!" Coby shrieked, "Absolutely impossible! To become the Pirate King in the Great Pirate Era is IMPOSSIBLE!"

**POW! **Suddenly Luffy punched Coby in the face and knocked him down, "Ow! Why'd you hit me?" questioned Coby.

"You were rambling," Luffy told him.

"Oh… well, I'm used to it anyway," Coby mumbled.

"I'm not afraid of dying," Luffy stated, "Because it's my dream! And that's why I won't mind dying for it! Besides I think I could do it, even if it does get pretty tough."

"_Amazing!"_ Coby thought to himself, _"He won't even mind death! I never thought of that. Would I also be able to achieve me dream if I'm willing to die?"_

"Huh?" questioned Luffy, who only heard Coby muttering to himself.

"Do you think I'll be able to become a marine?" asked Coby.

"A marine?" Luffy repeated.

"Luffy, I know this means we'll be enemies," said Coby, "But joining the marines and catching bad guys has always been my dream! Do you think I could do it?"

"I wouldn't know," Luffy answered with a shrug, he was trying to be a pirate, the opposite of a marine.

"I have to at least try," Coby told him, "I'd rather die trying to get out of her and join the marines, than stay here as a caretaker for the rest of my life! And then I'll be able to arrest bad guys like Alvida!"

"**WHO DID YOU SAY YOU WERE GOING TO ARREST, COBY?"** Alvida shouted as she arrived on the scene followed by her pirates. **KRESH! **Alvida brought her mace down on Coby's boat and smashed it to pieces.

"My boat!" Coby cried as he saw the boat he had been working on for two years, crushed before his very eyes.

"Do you really think you can escape from me?" questioned Alvida, who then noticed Luffy, "Is that who you hired to capture me? He's not Roronoa Zoro! Anyway, before you die, I have to ask you. Who is the fairest throughout the seas? Coby?"

"Th-that'll be…" Coby stammered, clearly intimidated by Alvida. But that wasn't what was running through Luffy's mind.

"Who's that fat guy?" he asked.

**GASP! **Coby, Alvida, and all of Albida's gasped in shock at what the weird kid had said. No one spoke that way about Alvida!

"Luffy run!" Coby urged his friend, "Throughout all the seas Lady Alvida is the number one…"

"_I'm not afraid of dying," _Luffy's bold words echoed in Coby's mind,_ "Because it's my dream! And that's why I won't mind dying for it! Besides I think I could do it, even if it does get pretty tough." _Luffy wasn't afraid of dying while he was attempting to accomplish his dream, and here Coby was a sniveling cowards working for two years as a Cabin Boy for some ugly old hag… well no more! Coby wanted to become a marine, and marines aren't afraid of pirates.

Coby took a deep breath and finished what he was saying, "…THE NUMBER ONE UGLY OLD HAG!"

Alvida's pirates stared in shock while Luffy started laughing hysterically. "HAAAHAHAHAHA!"

Alvida glared at Coby, who looked surprised at what he had just said. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Alvida roared in outrage.

"I don't regret it," Coby said out loud, "I already said I'd fight for my dreams! I'm going to become a marine and fight pirates like you!"

"Well said Coby," Luffy commented as he moved in front of Coby, "Good for you!"

"It makes no difference to me!" Alvida shouted as she lifted her mace and prepared to bring it down on Luffy, "YOU'RE BOTH GOING TO DIE!"

**WHAM! **The mace went crashing down on Luffy's back, but to everyone's surprise, Luffy was still smiling, "That didn't hurt!" Luffy announced, "Cause my body is made of rubber!"

"Im-that's impossible!" Alvida stammered, no one had ever survived being hit by her mace, "My mace!"

Everyone stared in shock as Luffy brought back his arm, with the heavy mace still on his head, "GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" **BWOOM! **Luffy's arm shot out and punched Alvida right in the face, the self-proclaimed Pirate Queen was knocked out and went flying backwards, taking out half of her crew due to her large size.

"His arm…" gasped one of he pirates who hadn't gotten knocked down by Alvida, "His arm stretched like rubber!"

"Lady Alvida was defeated by this monster!" another exclaimed.

"Give Coby a boat!" Luffy ordered. "He's going to join the Marines!"

The pirates agreed and quickly did as Luffy commanded. They got a Luffy and Coby a small boat and in no time they were out of there.

**-x-**

"You actually ate the Gum Gum Fruit?" Coby exclaimed a little while later, while he and Luffy were floating in their small boat, "Incredible! But Luffy, if you're going after the One Piece that means you have to enter the Grand Line!"

"Yep!" Luffy answered enthusiastically.

"But that place is known as the graveyard of pirates!" Coby exclaimed.

"Yeah that's why I need a strong crew," Luffy replied. "That guy being held by the Marines, what's his name?"

"Roronoa Zoro?" Coby supplied.

"If he's a good guy I'll ask him to join me," said Luffy with a goofy smile.

"WHAT?" Coby screamed. "You're dreaming again! Never… that'll never happen, he's a demonic monster!"

"We can't be sure about that yet," Luffy pointed out.

"It'll never work!" Coby snapped.

And so the two boys sailed off towards the Marine Base and their destiny. Luffy was now more excited than ever to find a crew, and Zoro was going to be his first choice… unless something else distracted him along the way. Luffy was known to have a short attention span, it happened a lot actually.

**-x-**

**Enter Zoro-Pirate Hunter**

**-x-**

"A demonic monster huh?" asked Luffy as they kept sailing towards the Marine Base.

"Yes, Luffy," Coby answered, "Roronoa Zoro is known as 'the Pirate Hunter' he's a really scary person. He's like a bloodthirsty shark. He wanders around the sea, hunting pirates for the bounties on their head… he's a demon in human form!"

"Oh really?" questioned Luffy.

"So let's drop the idea of recruiting him," Coby suggested.

"I haven't decided if I wanted to recruit him yet," Luffy replied, "But if he's a good person then I'll…"

"He was arrested because he's bad!" Coby interrupted. Luffy didn't seem to get it, people get arrested by the marines because they're bad… right?

**-x-**

A few hours later, Luffy and Coby had arrived at the small port town of Shell Town which was known for having a Marine's Bases. Despite being on an island that was probably swarming with marines, Luffy couldn't be happier.

"WE'RE FINALLY AT THE MARINE BASE!" Luffy announced, getting a lot of attention.

"Yep finally," Coby agreed a lot quieter than his loud-mouth companion.

"You're great Coby," Luffy congratulated his temporary nagivator. "We actually reached out destination!"

"Of course," Coby replied. "That's the basics of navigation! If you keep randomly floating around you'll never become a pirate. You should find a Navigator for your crew."

"Yeah, that's what I'll do!" Luffy decided. "Now let's go eat."

**-x-**

Luffy and Coby found a tavern which was set up like a restaurant and a bar, kind of like the one back in Fuchsia Village. Luffy spent the next few hours eating a ridiculously large amount of food and wasn't shy about commenting about their waiter's eye patch.

"Well now we go our separate ways," said Luffy, once he and Coby were full, "Do your best. I hope you become a great marine."

"I will, thank you so much!" Coby replied, "Luffy I hope you become a great pirate. Even if that means we'll become enemies."

"Say, I wonder if Roronoa Zoro is still being kept at the Marines Base?" wondered Luffy out loud. **KRASH!** Luffy looked up in and saw all of the other occupants of the restaurant cowering against the wall. The only person who wasn't whimpering in a corner was the waiter with the eye patch. In fact he looked a little bit amused.

"Maybe we shouldn't say that name out loud around here," Coby whispered to Luffy, "I saw a notice on the streets that said Captain Morgan is at this base." **KRATA-KRASH! **Once again all the other customers at the restaurant dove behind their tables. But once again, the waiter with the eye patch was unaffected. The one-eyed waiter shook his head at the customers then turned to Luffy and Coby.

"Not that I mind, but you should probably stop that," he said calmly. "The boss probably wouldn't like you scaring all of the customers."

Luffy eyed the waiter carefully, he was young, about Luffy's age maybe a bit older, he bared a passing resemblance to a fox and stood at six feet, a little over four inches taller than Luffy. He had red hair that was cut short and his visible left eye was hazel. He was wearing a short-sleeved green button down shirt and a pair of brown pants.

Luffy stared at the waiter as he continued to shovel food in his mouth, there were no physical signs that he was thinking, but for some reason Luffy felt that the waiter looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him. The waiter glanced quickly at Luffy's straw hat then walked off into the back room. Luffy just shrugged, it would come to him eventually.

**-x-**

"Hahaha! What a great restaurant," Luffy laughed, as he and Coby walked out of the restaurant and headed down the street. "I've gotta go there again!"

**-x-**

The one-eyed waiter stared at the empty table, it was piled full of empty plates and the two seats were still pushed out.

"He didn't pay…" the waiter observed as he shook his head, "some things never change."

The waiter walked to the back and spotted a small girl with dark brown hair and a blue and green striped dress wrapping some paper around two round objects. "What do you have there Rika?" he asked the girl.

"I'm gonna go bring these rice balls to Roronoa Zoro at the marine base," answered Rika, she was the daughter of the woman who owned the tavern. "You've done it so many times, but I want to do it too. I made the rice balls myself, I hope he likes them."

"Your mother won't like that," said the waiter.

"But he's gotta be starving!" the eight year old protested. "I need to help him, Big Brother."

"Fine, go," the waiter replied. "But before you go in, find a guy wearing a red vest and a straw hat and make sure he sees you go in."

"Huh? Why?" asked Rika.

"Because he won't let anything bad happen to you," the waiter told her as he headed back out into the main room. "I've got to get back to work. Be safe."

**-x-**

A little while later and Luffy and Coby were walking down the street in town. "That was strange," said Coby, "I have a bad feeling about this. I can understand why they'd be scared of Zoro's name. But why would they be afraid of the marine captain's name too?"

"Well he could have done something bad, right?" questioned Luffy.

"That's impossible!" Coby snapped.

"I'm serious," Luffy told him as they kept walking, they were finally heading towards the actual marine base.

**-x-**

"It looks pretty ugly up close," Luffy remarked once they reached the gate around the marine base. "Go ahead Coby, go on in."

"B-but I'm not prepared yet!" Coby protested, "I'm still wondering about the incident at the restaurant. LUFFY!"

Coby looked on in shock as Luffy started climbing one of the walls, "I wonder if I can see the demonic monster from here," wondered Luffy as he looked into the holding yard.

"You can't find him that easily!" Coby snapped, "He's probably deep within the bowels of the prison or something…"

"No!" Luffy replied as he jumped down from the wall and started running along it, "I saw something over there. It could be Zoro."

Luffy and Coby climbed another wall and Luffy noticed someone being held in the middle of the yard. "There he is!" Luffy pointed out. When Coby saw the person Luffy was referring to he fell off of the wall.

"Th-that b-black bandana and sash around his waist," Coby stuttered from the ground, "It's him! It's Roronoa Zoro! He looks scary!"

What Coby said was true. There in the middle of the yard was Roronoa Zoro. Zoro was tied to what looked like a cross and had a blank expression on his face. The swordsman didn't look older than twenty years old, his green hair was hidden under a black bandana, and his facial features resembled a shark. He was wearing a white short sleeve shirt, a green sash, and a pair of black pants and shoes.

"So he's Zoro, huh?" questioned Luffy, "I could just untie those ropes and set him free…"

"THAT'S SUICIDE!" Coby shouted, loud enough to get the pirate hunter's attention, "If you set him free he'll kill us then wreck the town!"

"**Hey you!**" came the deep voice of Roronoa Zoro. "Come over here and untie me. I've been tied up here for nine days and I'm exhausted!"

"Look he's smiling," Luffy observed.

"He… he talked!" Coby gasped.

"I'll make it worth your while," Zoro called out again, "I could hunt down a pirate with a big price on his head and give you the bounty. You can trust me, I'm a man of my word."

"Don't do it Luffy!" Coby pleaded, "If you set him free, he'll kill us and escape!"

"He can't kill me!" Luffy assured him, "I won't let him. I'm too strong!"

"You really are hopeless," Coby cried. **TONK!** Suddenly a ladder was set up against the wall and a familiar little girl climbed up it.

"Sssshhhhh!" Rika shushed Luffy and Coby. She lowered a rope and climbed down it into the holding yard.

"Don't go down there! It's dangerous!" Coby called after the girl. He turned to Luffy, "Luffy, stop her, she could be killed."

"What do you want?" Zoro asked the girl in front of him, "get lost!"

Rika pulled out a bundle and unwrapped the paper around it to reveal a pair of rice balls. "I made these rice balls for you. I know Big Brother usually sneaks you some but I wanted to help. This is the first time I've ever made rice balls…"

"I'm not hungry!" the pirate hunter snapped, "go away!"

"B-but…" Rika protested.

"I don't want it!" Zoro insisted, "Now get out of here or I'll kill you!"

"**RORONOA ZORO!"** came a loud voice as a man with funny looking blond hair and a cleft chin wearing a black suit walked into the holding yard, "You shouldn't pick on little girls, I'll report you to my father!"

"Who's that weirdo?" Luffy wondered.

"Probably some high ranking marine," said Coby. "Good, that little girl will be safe now."

"Well if it isn't the Captain's bastard son," said Zoro, who actually knew who his guy was but was unimpressed.

"Bastard?" Helmeppo repeated. "Don't get cocky, you're not in the position to say such things." Helmeppo turned to Rika and noticed the rice balls in her hands. "Little girl, did you bring those rice balls for me? How thoughtful!"

"Wait no!" Rika shrieked, she had made those for Zoro. But the captain's son must have gone temporarily deaf because he took one of the rice balls anyway and started eating it.

Helmeppo's face turned blue, and he spat the rice ball out before he could choke on it. "PTOOOOOIIII! Disgusting!" Helmeppo complained as he continued spitting in an attempt to get the awful taste out. "You used sugar! You're supposed to use salt to season these!"

"But I thought they'd taste better if they were sweet," said Rika, as a tear formed in one of her eyes. She had worked hard on those and wanted them to be special.

"These are completely inedible!" Helmeppo shouted as he snatched the other rice ball and threw it on the ground, then to the Rika's horror, started squishing them with his foot. **STOMP! STOMP! SKUSH!**

"Stop! Please!" the girl pleaded as the captain's son squished her hard work, "You're ruining them!"

"How evil," Coby whispered, "That girl worked really hard on those."

"AHahaha, don't worry," Helmeppo laughed, "I'm sure the ants will find them delicious!"

Rika dropped to the ground and cried next to her ruined rice balls. "You're so cruel! I worked so hard to make them!"

"Oh, stop crying," Helmeppo complained. "No wonder why I hate little brats so much. It's your own fault. Can't you read this sign?" Helmeppo then pointed out the sign next to him, and read it to the girl. "It says: '_Anyone who helps the prisoner will be charged with the same crime.' _And it is signed by my father, Captain Morgan."

Helmeppo looked closely at Rika, "You know how scary my father can be. You could've gotten the death penalty if you were a grown up."

Helmeppo then turned to one of the marines who were with him, "You there, throw this brat out!"

"What?" questioned the marine.

"I'm telling you to throw her out of here!" Helmeppo ordered. "Are you disobeying me? I'll tell my father!" No one likes a tattle-tale, but this tattle-tale's father was the ranking officer at this base, no one wanted to make him mad.

"Yes sir, right away," the marine reluctantly agreed, as he bent down to pick up the girl he whispered, "Sorry I have to hurt you. Try curling up into a ball." Regretfully the marine threw the eight year old over the fence and out of the holding yard.

**WHAP! **Luffy jumped off the wall and was knocked to the ground as he caught Rika and kept her from getting hurt.

"Are you alright?" Coby asked Rika, as Luffy got up and dusted himself off,

"Those bastards!"

"I didn't think you'd have this kind of endurance," Helmeppo taunted Zoro.

"That's right, I'm going to survive the entire month," Zoro answered with a determined grin, "You'd better keep your promise."

"I wouldn't dream of breaking my word," Helmeppo assured as he and his marine escorts started leaving. "If you survive out here for a month, I'll release you. Good luck."

Helmeppo and the marines left, but Zoro still wasn't alone. A pirate was standing in front of him.

"So I hear you're a bad guy," said Luffy as he stood in front of Zoro in the holding yard.

"Are you still here?" asked Zoro.

"You're stuck out here for all the world to see and nothing," Luffy commented. "Are you really all that strong?"

"Mind your own business," said Zoro, but Luffy just walked closer.

"If I were you I'd probably starve to death in three days," Luffy told him.

"I've got more spirit than you could ever have," Zoro replied, "which is why I'm gonna survive this ordeal. This I swear."

"Haha, what a weirdo," Luffy chuckled, as he turned and headed off.

"Wait," Zoro called after him. "Could you… pick that up for me?" He motioned to the squished rice ball with his head.

"You're gonna eat this?" asked Luffy as he crouched down and picked up what was more a bunch of dirt that a ball of rice, "cause its mostly a ball of mud."

"Shut up and give it to me! Now!" Zoro ordered, he held his mouth opened and Luffy tossed the remains of the rice ball inside.

**CHOMP!CHOMP!MUNCH! **The Pirate Hunter proceeded to eat the rice ball as if it was the first thing he'd eaten in weeks, but then coughed when he choked on the bits of dirt. **KOFF! KOFF! ACK! **

"You should've listened to me," Luffy pointed out.

"Tell the girl, 'thanks for the food'," Zoro requested. Luffy smiled and left.

**-x-**

"Really?" asked Rika, once Luffy had relayed Zoro's message as they sat out in front of the tavern.

"That's right," Luffy answered. "He ate all of it."

"That's great," said the girl with a smile.

"Could he really be as bad as people say he is?" Coby asked.

"He's not!" Rika exclaimed. "He's good… because… he got himself punished for us."

"You're making no sense," Luffy stated.

"Sorry," Rika apologized. "It was that dumb Helmeppo's fault.

**-Rika's Flashback-**

"Step aside! Step aside!" Helmeppo called out three weeks ago. "Make way for my beautiful pet doggy." The 'doggy' was actually a wolf and was terrifying and terrorizing the people. Helmeppo had a sword and two marines as an escort, no one wanted to get in his way. "Anyone who doesn't move I'll have executed! AHahaha**snort**!"

**KREK! RAWR!** The wolf barged into a familiar tavern and made its way over to a table and proceeded to devour the food on a customer's table.

"You can't bring pets in here," the one-eyed bartender calmly told him as he placed a bottle of rum on the counter in front of a green-haired man wearing a black bandana.

"Shut up you!" Helmeppo ordered. "Let my doggy do what he wants or I'll tell my father to have you executed."

"Stop it, you mean old thing!" Rika shrieked as she ran over to the wolf and swung at its tail with a mop, **SWISH!SWISH!SWISH!**

"Rika, get away from that thing," the one-eyed waiter warned her.

"You, little girl," said Helmeppo. "Is there some kind of problem with how my precious dog is behaving?"

"Rika put it down!" Rika's mother exclamied as she rushed out from the back room. "You don't want to get us in trouble."

**GRRRAAWWWRRRR! **The wolf growled as it turned to the little girl, then let out a howl as it pounced. **CHUNK!SLASH!RIP!**

Rika had been tackled to the ground by the one-eyed waiter who was clutching the small girl to his chest as the wolf clawed at his back.

**WHAM!** A barstool suddenly slammed into the wolf and knocked it out.

Despite the bloody wounds on the back of his shirt, the one-eyed waiter stood up, and allowed Rika to run over to her mother. He stared at the green-haired man that had kicked the barstool at the wolf. "You shouldn't have done that," he commented idly, completely oblivious to the blood dripping on the floor from the scratch and bite marks on his back.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Helmeppo demanded as he swung his sword around in outrage. "Wait a minute… its you! You're 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro!"

"And if I am?" asked Zoro as Helmeppo continued brandishing his sword at him.

"What's a pirate hunter doing defying the marines, huh?"

"Can it and let me finish my meal in peace."

"RAAAH!" Helmeppo screamed as he charged at Zoro and swung his sword, **THWAK!** Zoro lashed out his leg and kicked the captain's son's sword out of his hands, it went flying and embedded in the ceiling.

"AAAHH!" Helmeppo's scream of rage turned to a scream of terror as Zoro turned to him, **POW!** Zoro punched Helmeppo right in the face and sent him flying into a wall, **WHAM!**

Zoro drew one of his swords and pointed it at Helmeppo's face. "You're getting on my nerves, pal," said Zoro as Helmeppo whimpered in fear and pain, "You and that precious mutt of yours."

"AHahaha," Helmeppo chuckled, "You do realize if my dad finds out about this he'll surely execute the girl, and her mother." The waiter cast a glance at Rika and her mother, then turned back and watched confrontation between Zoro and Helmeppo to see how it would play out.

"So what do you say to a little deal between men?" Helmeppo offered as he slowly got back up. "In place of those three, we string you up instead. For… say one month. You survive that one month and I'll be so nice as to let you live too. What do you say? Sound fair?"

"No," the waiter interrupted. "I'll do the month, if you promise that the girl and her mother are spared. You can even execute me."

"Why would I want you?" asked Helmeppo. "I could kill you any time I want, and then have the other two executed once you're dead."

The waiter looked like he was about to say something, but Zoro turned and stared at him. "He made the offer to me, I'll do it," Zoro turned back to the captain's son. "One month it is." **KLAK! **Zoro dropped his sword and allowed himself to get arrested.

**-End Flashback-**

"It's been three weeks since that day," Rika concluded. "Helmeppo keeps punching and kicking him while he's tied up. He's being so unfair! Big Brother's been sneaking him food late at night, but I don't know how to help him!"

Just then, speak of the devil, Helmeppo walked passed them into the tavern. "I'M HERE AND I'M HUNGRY! YOU, ONE-EYE, GET OVER HERE!" Luffy, Coby, and Rika ran through the door to see what was going to happen.

"What do you want?" asked the waiter as he walked over.

**POW!** Helmeppo lashed out his hand and punched the waiter square in the face. The waiter didn't even flinch and just stood there as Helmeppo yelled at him, "You can't talk to me like that! I'll tell my father on you! Do you want to get executed like Zoro?"

"He's got ten days left," the waiter replied. "He'll be fine."

**POW!** Helmeppo punched him again, but again the waiter barely flinched. "The only reason _you _haven't been executed is because you're fun to hit. Do you really expect me to live up to my end of the deal? I'm keeping him alive until I get bored hitting you, then I'll execute him."

"Heads up," said the waiter as he calmly stepped backwards.

"What's tha—" Helmeppo started to say as he turned around.

Luffy ran across the room, his hat fell off his head as he went, he reached Helmeppo and lashed out his arm and socked the Captain's son right in the face. **POW!** Helmeppo went flying and slammed into a wall. **WHAM!**

"You… you just hit me!" Helmeppo whined as he sat up and held his face where Luffy had hit him.

"Luffy, no!" Coby pleaded as he tried to hold Luffy back, "You can't hit him."

"This guy's scum!" Luffy growled.

"You actually hit me!" Helmeppo shrieked. "I'm Captain Morgan's son you know!"

"Yeah, like I care!" Luffy snapped.

"You'll care after he executes you for this!" Helmeppo yelled.

"Why don't you just be a man and fight?" Luffy challenged.

"He only hits people who he knows won't fight back," the waiter answered.

"Luffy, why don't you just ease off some?" asked Coby. "Why are you trying to get on the marines' bad side?"

"Coby, I've made up my mind," Luffy announced, "I'm going to ask Zoro to join my crew!"

**-x-**

That's the official first chapter, next chapter Luffy gets his first crew mate, and they encounter the Great Captain Morgan.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	3. Chapter 2

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Summary:** There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line, where they can make their dreams come true.

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

**The Great Captain Morgan**

**-x-**

A/N: when I hear Ricky's voice in my head it sounds similar to Chuck Huber's Android 17 from _Dragonball Z, _it's a soft, calm tenor that's only raised when he's really angry.

**-x-**

"Wow, he really did it!" someone shouted. "He actually hit Captain Morgan's son!"

"Luffy calm down, they're marines!" Coby yelled as he tried to hold Luffy back.

"I don't care!" Luffy snapped. "A bastard is still a bastard, no matter who his father is!"

"Y-you hit me" Helmeppo whined from the ground, "no one has ever hit me! Not even my father! I'M MARINE CAPTAIN MORGAN'S BELOVED SON! I'M TELLING MY FATHER ON YOU!" The two marines he was with helped him up and he ran out crying like the little bitch he was. "You'll get a death sentence for sure! And my father will be the one who executes it! YOU BASTARD!"

The other customers in the restaurant all gasped in shock, Luffy seemed to still be angry. The one-eyed waiter walked over to Luffy's hat and picked it up.

"It's meaningless to hit people like him," Luffy muttered to himself, he was disgusted with Helmeppo, he was a coward and a liar. Just one was bad enough.

"You were so cool!" Rika said to Luffy.

"Well then maybe I should have hit him a couple more times for you," Luffy joked.

"Rika!" Rika's mother Ririka scolded her, **"**you shouldn't be talking to that person, if the marines think you're his friend, they'll kill you too!"

With the mother and daughter gone the waiter walked over to Luffy and held out his straw hat. "Shanks wouldn't want this to get ruined," he said in a soft, completely calm voice.

Luffy didn't seem to hear what he had said and just answered, "Yeah, thanks," while putting the hat back on his head.

"Three… two… one…" the waiter counted down.

"RICKY! IT'S YOU!" Luffy suddenly shouted.

"About time you realized it," the waiter commented.

"What happened to you?" Luffy asked as he stared at the black eye patch over Ricky's right eye.

"I had a run-in with a tough pirate while I was treasure hunting last year," Ricky answered. "He wanted a treasure I managed to get, I said 'no' and he scratched my eye out and left me for dead. I've been taking a break and working here for the last month."

"Have you thought of giving being a pirate another shot?" Luffy asked.

"Maybe," said Ricky evasively.

"Then you're gonna join my pirate crew," Luffy told him. "We'll be Nakama!"

"You're supposed to let me decide, you idiot," Ricky muttered.

"I did it for you," said Luffy. "It'll be great! You can help me find One Piece and I'll become King of the Pirates!"

"One Piece?" Ricky repeated with a small smile.

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "And since there's no one else on the crew yet. You can be First Mate."

"Hmm… it would be an opportunity to start over," Ricky commented mostly to himself. "Tell you what… we'll settle this the way we used to."

"Okay," Luffy agreed. "If I win, you'll join my crew, and if you win, you can still join if you want to."

"Ready?" asked Ricky as he held his arm out. Luffy nodded as he mimicked his brother.

"SHOOT!" Luffy held out a fist while Ricky was holding out his hand with two fingers extended.

Coby face-faulted as Luffy's rock crushed Ricky's scissors. "Yeah! Now you'll join my crew!"

"A deal's a deal," Ricky agreed with a sly grin. "I guess we're Nakama now."

"YOU DECIDED BY PLAYING ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS?" Coby shouted as he got back up and glared at the two pirates.

"Uh… yeah," Luffy and Ricky replied at the same time.

"How else would we decide?" questioned Luffy. "And now that Ricky and I are Nakama, we can go get Zoro."

"Sounds good to me, Captain," Ricky agreed. "Let me go and get something first."

"What do you need to get?" asked Luffy.

"I have some of my old stuff upstairs," Ricky explained with a shrug.

"Wait a minute," Coby interrupted. "So you're both pirates, and you're both planning on sneaking into the _marine_ base holding ground to ask Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate _Hunter_ to join a pirate crew? That's suicide!"

"Not very brave is he?" questioned Ricky, "Is he part of your crew?"

"Nope, Coby wants to be a marine," Luffy told him.

"Oh," said Ricky with an indifferent shrug.

"Come on, let's get your stuff then get up to the base!" said Luffy.

Ricky nodded and led the other two upstairs to a small room with a bed in it. Ricky changed into a black sleeveless shirt which was tucked into a pair of black cargo pants with two pockets at the waist and a much larger pocket on each of the legs. The bottom of the pants legs were tucked into a pair of black boots that came halfway up to his knees. The boots had steel toes and a steel bottom. Hooked on a red belt was a curved red and black sheath which held a familiar curved sword – _Akaikyuuketsuki –_ the same sword he had gotten from Benn Beckman ten years ago. That was one of the few things about Ricky that was the same, he had a major growth spurt and now stood at six feet, he only had his left eye, and his carefree attitude was gone and replaced with a relaxed one.

"Let's go get Zoro," said Ricky as walked out the door, followed closely by Luffy, who had a huge smile on his face… this was going to be fun.

**-x-**

A little while away, in the marine base a man was sitting in a chair facing the window. This man was Captain Morgan, the highest-ranking marine on the base. He was a large incredibly muscular man with short blond hair. He wore a long light blue marine captain's coat with a high collar, underneath it, he wore a sleeveless black shirt, a pair of blue pants, and a pair of black boots.

"I am great," Morgan said out loud as he smoked his cigar.

"Yes sir," a marine agreed, as he raised his hand and saluted, "You're right Captain Morgan, sir!"

"But lately," Captain Morgan continued, still not facing the marine. "The taxes we collect don't compare to my sheer degree of greatness."

"Yes that's right sir," said the marine who was still saluting. "I guess that the citizen's wallets aren't very deep these days."

"The issue of hand is the matter of respect for me," Morgan replied. "Wouldn't you agree?"

**SLAM! **The doors of the room smashed opened and Helmeppo came rushing in, "FATHER!" Helmeppo cried.

"What is it?" asked Morgan, not bothering to face his son.

"I want you to kill someone for me!" Helmeppo whined as he held his face where Luffy had hit him. "And I want it done now!"

**-x-**

_**WAK!WAK!WAP!**__ A black-haired girl and a younger Zoro were dueling with training swords. __**WHAM!**__ The girl broke through Zoro's two-sword defense and connected with his face, knocking him on his back._

"_You're weak Zoro," the girl taunted him. "Nothing ever changes."_

"I made a promise to her," Zoro said to himself, "I can't allow myself to die in a place like this."

"**Uh… should we wake him up?" **came a somewhat familiar voice. "He's just staring off into space. Is he sleeping?"

"**He's in a flashback," **another familiar voice replied. "He'll come out of it on his own."

"What?" Luffy and Zoro asked at the same time.

It was then that Zoro noticed the two people in the holding yard, "What are you doing here?" Zoro wondered as he stared at the waiter. "Your sister was already by earlier. They're bound to catch you if you keep coming back here."

"Actually, I'm here with him," said Ricky as he pointed to Luffy.

"Then what are _you_ doing back here? Don't you have things to do?"

"I'll untie you, but only if you promise to join my crew," Luffy told him.

"Your what?" asked Zoro.

"I run a pirate crew," Luffy explained. "And I'm looking for people to join up." He motioned to Ricky, "This guy's my new First Mate."

"No way," Zoro refused. "I'd never stoop to joining criminals. Screw that business."

"What's wrong with being a pirate?" asked Luffy.

"They're despicable," Zoro stated, "like I'd ever want to join up with one." He turned to Ricky, "Aren't you a waiter, why'd you join him?"

"I was a treasure hunter before I was a waiter," Ricky explained. "And this guy's my younger brother, I just couldn't say no."

"Come on," Luffy encouraged him, "everyone already knows you as a vicious bounty hunter who's always out for blood."

"I don't care what people think!" Zoro exclaimed, "I haven't done one thing that I regretted in the past and it will be the same for the future! I WON'T BECOME A PIRATE!"

"Hm," Ricky grunted.

"Sorry," said Luffy. "But I've already decided, you're gonna join my crew!"

"I don't give a damn what you decided!" Zoro snapped.

"You're not very good at this recruiting thing," Ricky pointed out, "You might need a different approach with this one."

"Then what do I do?" asked Luffy.

Ricky stared at Zoro for a moment then a sly grin appeared on his face. "Roronoa Zoro is known throughout the East Blue as a feared swordsman," Ricky recalled. "It's always a pity to see a swordsman without his swords."

"You bastard," Zoro growled who had caught on before Luffy had.

"Hey! That's a great idea!" Luffy realized when he figured out what Ricky had said, he quickly turned back to Zoro, "You use a sword right?"

"If I wasn't tied up here I'd show you!" Zoro threatened him, but his threat had no effect on Luffy who was as optimistic as ever.

"Where is your sword?" asked Luffy.

"That bastard Helmeppo took 'em," Zoro answered, "Next to my life, those swords are my greatest treasure."

Ricky was still sporting his sly grin, "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Treasure, huh?" questioned Luffy, "Too bad they took 'em. Oh, I know! I'll go and get your sword back! But if you want me to return it to you, you'll have to join my crew!"

"You little rat!" Zoro growled as Luffy ran off.

Luffy laughed and called over his shoulder, "See you soon!"

"Luffy… the tower's that way," Ricky pointed as he motioned towards the tower that was in the opposite direction.

"Right," Luffy agreed as he turned around and ran the other way.

"If he really planning on sneaking into the base?" Zoro asked Ricky.

"No," Ricky answered. "He's going to barge in making as much noise as possible. _I'll_ sneak into the base."

"That's one dumb pirate," Zoro commented.

Ricky shrugged, "He makes for a good distraction." With that Ricky turned and ran off after Luffy, leaving Zoro staring after him. They didn't _actually_ expect him to join did they?

**-x-**

Meanwhile, on top of the marine base, a large project was going on. "Alright, steady," someone ordered. "Now stand it up!"

"Father!" Helmeppo cried to Captain Morgan. "That kid hit me! Why won't you help me take revenge? Even you haven't hit me before!"

"Do you know why I've never hit you?"

"Because I'm your beloved son?" Helmeppo answered uncertainly.

**KA-POW!** Morgan suddenly punched Helmeppo in the face, sending him crashing to the ground, luckily he didn't use his other hand. "IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A BASTARD SON THAT'S NOT EVEN WORTH HITTING!" Morgan yelled.

"Why do I have to clean up your mess?" asked Captain Morgan as he patted his axe, which was actually imbedded in his arm and replaced his hand, earning him the name, 'Axe-Hand Morgan.' The Captain continued smoking his cigar with his metal jaw while looking down at his pitiful son, "I don't mind if you use my status. But only if you use it to punish those who defy me! Don't fool yourself, you are not the great one here! _I_ am the great one, ME!" Morgan paused and changed the subject, "Rumor has it that someone snuck into the execution site."

"You mean that little girl?" asked Helmeppo, "I already dealt with her…"

"So you killed her, right?" questioned Morgan.

"Huh? No… she's just a little girl!" Helmeppo replied, "She didn't even know what she was doing!"

"You!" Captain Morgan barked as he turned to a marine wearing a green necktie around his neck as opposed to the blue the others were wearing. It signified his rank as Lieutenant. "Go into town and kill her! I don't care how old she is, whoever opposes me shall die!"

"But Captain, she's just a little girl!" the marine protested, "I couldn't do that!"

"Couldn't do it huh?" questioned Morgan. "You're a Marine Lieutenant, right? And the rank of Lieutenant is lower than the rank of Captain, isn't it?"

"Yes sir," the Lieutenant admitted.

"THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GO AGAINST MY ORDERS!" Morgan hollered, "IF I ORDER YOU TO KILL HER, THEN YOU WILL KILL HER!"

"I can't!" Lieutenant refused.

"TRAITOR!" Morgan shouted, **FA-WAK!** In a flash Morgan raised his axe arm, then brought it down on the marine's back, and the marine fell to the floor, blood splattered all over his back.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL HIM!" Helmeppo shrieked.

"L-lieutenant!" a marine stuttered as he stared down at the fallen marine.

"No matter," said Captain Morgan calmly. "For the sake of teaching the people respect, I'll go into town myself. With this arm, I rose to the rank of Captain. Rank is the most important thing in the world! I am the highest-ranking officer in the base, which means I am the greatest one here! GREAT MEN DON'T MAKE MISTAKES! Don't you agree?"

"Yes sir," the marines chorused. "You are absolutely correct Captain!"

"Look," said Morgan as he pointed to the giant statue lying on the ground. The statue was gigantic, and was an exact replica of Captain Morgan. "This is a symbol of my power! It took years to build it but today it's finally complete! Raise my statue, and put it up on the highest point of the base as a symbol of my greatness!"

**-x-**

Back on the ground Ricky had caught up with Luffy and the two of them were standing in front of the marine base. "That's strange, there isn't anyone around," commented Luffy, "Are they having a meeting or something? Never mind the sword, I can't even find that bastard son like this!"

"Let's just split up and search the place," Ricky suggested, "we'll cover more ground."

**-x-**

On top of the tower that Luffy and Ricky were looking up at the marines were back at work. They had fastened ropes onto the Captain's giant statue and were attempting to pull it up. They were all pulling as hard as they could, and were slowly pulling the extremely heavy stone statue off of the ground. **TING!** One of the statue's arms scratched against a piece of roof, and unfortunately for the marines, Captain. Morgan noticed.

"Hey you!" Captain Morgan barked at a marine, "Just now, did you bump my statue?"

"S-sorry Captain," the worried marine stuttered. "We were being careless sir…"

**-x-**

Back on the ground, Ricky was staring up at the top of the base, "Luffy, I think I heard something from up there," Ricky reported, but due to having only one eye and barely any depth perception, he couldn't really see anything.

"I'll go up and see," Luffy decided.

"Don't get anyone too angry," Ricky advised as he quickly walked towards the door.

**BREENG! **Luffy's arm stretched up into the air and rocketed up to the top of the base. "GUM… GUM… ROCKET!" **FWUP!** Luffy's arm retracted and pulled him upwards with the speed of a rocket.

**-x-**

"Do you know how long I've been looking forward to the completion of this statue?" Captain Morgan demanded of an extremely frightened marine, "And you went ahead and damaged it!"

"I'm sorry sir!" the marine apologized, "I'll fix it right away!"

"This statue represents me," said Morgan, "Damaging it means that you don't respect me!" Morgan brandished his axe arm and prepared to teach the marine a lesson, while failing to notice the rubber boy flying upward at an alarming speed. "Do you understand!"

"Oh no!" Luffy exclaimed, "I'm going too fast!"

Luffy went flying upwards and grabbed the ropes that were being used to pull up the statue, and managed to stop himself. But the ropes snapped and Luffy fell to the ground. **KRAKOOM!** Without the ropes to keep it up the statue to fell down and break in half on the edge of the roof. The marines, Luffy, Helmeppo, and Captain Morgan all watched in shock as the top of the statue fell off of the roof and went smashing down to the ground and broke into hundreds of piece.

**-x-**

**KRAKASH!** Ricky turned around when he heard the loud noise and saw the smashed remains of a statue. "Oops," Ricky commented, he closed his eye and shook his head, "now they're mad." He quickly turned and ran into the base before anyone could see him standing there.

**-x-**

Back on the roof, Luffy looked around sheepishly, "Um… sorry," he apologized.

Captain Morgan was in outrage, "CAPTURE HIM!" Morgan roared, "SEIZE HIM AND HOLD HIM SO I CAN KILL HIM MYSELF!"

"Yes sir!" the marines agreed.

"Father it's him!" Helmeppo shrieked. "He's the one who hit me!"

"Hey, I've been looking for you," said Luffy when he noticed Helmeppo. Luffy quickly grabbed the Captain's son and ran through a door downstairs.

"Th-they headed into the main building," a marine announced,

"DO NOT LET THAT MAN ESCAPE!" Morgan ordered.

"Captain," another marine reported while looking over the edge of the roof, "Someone's in the holding ground!"

"I'm surrounded... by traitors..." Morgan muttered.

**-x-**

Meanwhile Ricky was having a relatively easy time getting into the base. He had ducked around a corner, then grabbed a marine when he ran passed, beat him up, then stole his uniform. _"Everyone's running after Luffy,"_ Ricky said to himself, _"This'll be easier than I thought."_

Ricky opened a closet door and put the unconscious marine inside and adjusted the blue neck tie. He reached into his top left pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and quickly put them on, the lenses were large enough that the right one completely hid his eye patch from view. Ricky now looked like an ordinary red haired marine wearing sunglasses. Ricky checked around the corner to see if the coast was clear, and then headed off down the hallway, but he stopped when he noticed that the door to Captain Morgan's Office was ajar.

Ricky approached the door and peered inside, but what he saw was two marines tied up and someone who definitely wasn't Captain Morgan. Unless 'Morgan' was a girl's name… and the Marine Captain suddenly shrank and had grown orange hair and womanly curves. Yeah… definitely not him.

**-x-**

Out in the holding yard, Coby had come up to Zoro and was trying to untie him. "You have to get out of here Zoro," said Coby.

"That maniac's gonna kill you for what you're doing right now," Zoro told him.

"I can't stand to watch the marines behave like this anymore. The true marines should be honorable."

"Look kid, I can't leave. I've got ten days left. And then they're…"

"Not quite," Coby interrupted. "They're gonna execute you tomorrow."

"What!"

"Helmeppo never intended to honor your agreement. He planned on killing you from the start, which made Luffy really angry and that's why he hit him."

**BOOM! **But suddenly a shot rang out and a bullet came flying out of nowhere and hit Coby in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

**-x-**

Meanwhile, Luffy was dragging Helmeppo on the ground while still being chased by the marines.

"There he is!" a marine called out as he and a bunch of other marines ran after Luffy, "stop them!"

"Where is Zoro's sword?" Luffy asked Helmeppo.

"I'll tell you!" Helmeppo conceded, "just stop dragging me!"

**-x-**

**The Pirate King and the Master Swordsman**

**-x-**

"Hurry up and tell me where Zoro's swords are!" Luffy ordered.

"Okay, just stop dragging me!" Helmeppo conceded as his head banged against the ground.

Luffy pulled the Captain's son up slightly, so now he wouldn't bump on the floor, "Spill it!"

"They're inside my room," Helmeppo explained, "W-we already passed it!"

"Why didn't you say so earlier!" asked Luffy as he pulled Helmeppo up. **POW!** Luffy punched the Captain's son in the face again for good measure. "Now we have to go all the way back."

"OUCH!" Helmeppo yelped. "You hit me _again_!"

"Don't move!" three marines yelled as they aimed their rifles at Luffy, "except for putting Helmeppo down."

"No way," Luffy refused as he quickly held Helmeppo up in front of him. "Buuuut you can try shooting me if you want."

"NOOO!" Hemeppo screamed as Luffy ran passed the marines using him as a meat shield. "PLEASE DON'T SHOOT! GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!"

**-x-**

But Helmeppo wasn't the only one screaming. Out in the holding yard Coby was holding his hand to his bleeding bullet wound. "I've been shot!" Coby cried, "BLOOD! I'm bleeding! I'M GONNA DIE!"

"Good you're alive," Zoro observed, seeing how he was still tied up, he couldn't do much to help the kid. "Now get out of here, they're on their way down!"

"No!" said Coby as he struggled to get up and staggered over to Zoro. "I haven't untied you! I'm not gonna ask you to become a pirate, but I hope you'll help him. You have a lot of strength you can offer. Luffy's the only one who can save you from execution. And of course, you're the only one who can save him from a very similar fate."

"**END OF THE LINE!" **came the voice of Captain Morgan. Coby and Zoro turned to see Morgan and a squad of marines standing to the side pointing guns at them. "For the crime of treason against me, I sentence you both do die where you stand!"

Zoro and Coby looked at the marines in shock. What this the end?

**-x-**

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Ricky asked as he slipped into Captain Morgan's office, startling the orange-haired girl that was standing in front of the safe that was in the wall.

"Who are you?" the girl demanded, as she spun around to face what appeared to be a marine wearing sunglasses and cargo pants. "Another marine?"

"Relax, I'm in disguise, I'm just a treasure hunter," Ricky informed her.

"Isn't that the same as a pirate?" the girl asked with a frown.

"No," Ricky replied. "A pirate will do whatever it takes to get what they want, which could be just about anything. A treasure hunter sails the seas in search of valuable or legendary treasures that haven't been found yet."

"Oh," said the girl. That was followed by an awkward pause.

"So… you're not a marine either," Ricky commented. "Otherwise you wouldn't have tied up two marines while attempting to break into the safe there."

The girl immediately tried to deny the obvious, "I'm not… I'm just here to… uh… damn."

"Busted," Ricky said blankly, a flicker of amusement appeared on his face but it quickly faded. "Do you have a name? Or should I just call you 'thief'?"

"Of course I have a name, you idiot!" the girl snapped. "I'm Nami, and I rob pirates." Nami had short orange hair that went down slightly passed her chin. She was about a half a foot shorter than Ricky and appeared to be around eighteen, she wore a blue and white shirt and a short yellow skirt with two white circles on the sides. On her feet were a pair of fashionable high-heeled sandals with straps that wrapped around her leg up above her ankles.

Ricky slipped off his sunglasses and returned them to his top left pocket, revealing his eye patch to the newly dubbed 'Nami', "I'm 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire," said Ricky, he flashed a quick foxy smile before it faded back to his usual relaxed expression.

"Wait a minute… aren't you the waiter from the tavern in town?" questioned Nami, recognizing the eye patch. A guy with one-eyed kind of stood out in a small town like this one. "If this is about me running out on the bill… I was just going to get some money but… uh… then I got distracted and forgot…"

"I see, and you just conveniently ended up in the marine base on the outskirts of the town," Ricky replied, he clearly didn't believe her. "Don't worry, I'm off duty at the moment and I took care of your bill. But this leads me to wonder what you're doing here. If you rob pirates, why are you stealing from marines?"

"That's none of your business!" said Nami. "What exactly are you doing in here?"

"I'm looking for something," Ricky answered. "But _maybe_ we could help each other out."

Nami stared at Ricky for a moment then asked, "What did you have in mind?"

A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face, "I'll help you get that safe opened, and in exchange you'll help me find what I'm looking for."

"Yeah right," said Nami as she gestured to the safe behind her, "I've cracked a bunch of safes before, but I can't get in that one. It's thick and most likely has a three digit combination. I've been at it for the last ten minutes, there's no way you could get it opened."

"Is that a challenge?" questioned Ricky with the same sly grin.

"No, it's a statement of fact," Nami told him. "If _I_ can't open that safe then_ you_ definitely can't."

"Wanna bet on it?" asked Ricky.

"What are the terms of this _bet_ of yours?" Nami inquired, her interest had been peaked.

"Its simple," said Ricky. "If I can get it opened, you have to help me find Roronoa Zoro's swords. And if—"

"Wait what?" Nami interrupted. "Why are you looking for Roronoa Zoro's swords?"

Ricky stared at Nami for a moment, "You know that Roronoa Zoro is a notorious Pirate Hunter, right?" asked Ricky.

"Everybody in the East Blue knows that," Nami replied.

"So what do you think a pirate would give you in exchange for the swords of a notorious pirate _hunter_? I figure I could make a small fortune."

"Clever," Nami commented.

"Not all treasures are gold or jewels," Ricky informed her, "It can also be a specific item that holds prestigious value to someone. I'm a professional treasure hunter, I know what I'm talking about."

"Okay, I'll agree to that," Nami decided. "And if you can't get the safe opened, I get _your_ sword and I get to use your head as a battering ram in another attempt to get in the safe." Nami grinned as she eyed the curved blade sheathed at the Treasure Hunter's waist. She could probably sell it to make a few million berries.

"My sword?" Ricky repeated as he glanced down at the curved sword sheathed at his waist. "Not a chance."

"What's the matter? Not as confident as you think you are?" Nami goaded him.

"I've had this sword for ten years," Ricky calmly explained, "It's been with me through all my adventures, both the good and the bad. It's been my life-long partner and I could never even dream of putting a price on it. I wouldn't sell it for a billion berries. And I certainly wouldn't insult it by wagering it in a simple bet."

"Okay fine," Nami relented. "What do you have to bet if you won't wager your sword?"

Ricky reached down into his bottom left pocket and pulled out a sack, he shook it to show Nami that it contained a bunch of coins. "I think this kind of treasure is more up your alley," said Ricky. "I've got two hundred thousand berries in here. How's that sound?"

**KA-CHING!** Nami's eyes swirled around and looked like berri signs, "Alright, it's a bet then," Nami agreed as she stared at the sack greedily. Ricky held out his free hand and Nami shook it. The bet was now official.

"Stand aside, let an expert do this," Ricky instructed.

Nami moved to the side and watched as Ricky walked up to the safe and pressed his ear to it, "That won't work," Nami informed him. "It's too thick."

"Turn around," said Ricky suddenly.

"Why?"

"I'm going to use my secret safe-cracking technique. You seem like a nice girl but you did run out on your bill, I'm not about to show you my secret techniques."

Nami shrugged and slowly turned around, and looked randomly around the room. She spared a glance at the two marines that she had taken by surprise and tied up. "_What's with that guy?_"

A few seconds later, Ricky adjusted his eye patch and pulled a roll of paper out of the safe and unrolled it. _"So it was supposed to be a sea chart, but it was stolen by Buggy the Clown. But she obviously doesn't know that." _Ricky quickly grabbed a bag that seemed to be filled with coins out of the safe and slipped it into his bottom left pocket along with the sack he had wagered in the bed. He rolled the note back up and glanced over his shoulder at Nami "Got it."

Nami spun around in surprise as Ricky held up the rolled up 'chart'. "I win," said Ricky.

"Sure, now gimme!" Nami ordered as she held her hand out.

"Excuse me?" questioned Ricky as he slipped the 'chart' into his bottom right pocket and then folded his arms across his chest. "Our bet didn't cover me _giving_ you what I got out of the safe. I cracked the safe so you have to help me find Zoro's swords as agreed. _If_ you do, then _maybe_ I'll give you whatever this is."

"Fine," the orange-haired girl conceded, she glared at Ricky and thought for a moment. "From what I heard, Captain Morgan didn't capture Zoro, his son did. So maybe we should look for him."

"Good idea," Ricky remarked, but then he noticed the tied up marines out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly had another idea. "But… I have a better one."

Ricky turned to the two bound marines and slowly walked behind them. He pulled the tape off of one of the marine's mouth, and untied him. Then crouched down in front of him and looked him dead in the eye while asking, "Where's Helmeppo's room?" Ricky asked calmly.

"I AIN'T SAYING NOTHIN'!" the marine shouted.

"Let's see if we can change your position on that," Ricky commented, still perfectly calm. **WHAP!** He suddenly grabbed the marine's ankle and flipped him onto his back, then lifted him up and dangled him upside down over the floor. "Let me explain something to you. You're still tied up, and I have a sword sheathed at my waist. I could kill you both in an instant. If you tell me what I want to know, you'll live."

"OKAY! OKAY! I'LL TALK!" the marine conceded, this guy was talking about killing him as if he was predicting the weather, at least when Captain Morgan did it, he screamed and yelled. "PUT ME DOWN!"

**THUD! **Ricky dropped the marine and let him fall to the floor. "The room's up one floor, and down the hall," the marine answered. "The door is decorated with a wreath of pink flowers."

"Pink flowers?" Ricky replied with a raised eyebrow as he put the tape back over the marine's mouth. He leaned in and whispered in the terrified marine's ear, "If what you told me is just a plan to get me captured, I _will_ escape and I _will_ kill you." The marine didn't know if Ricky was bluffing or not, but he was happy he had told the truth.

Ricky slowly walked back over to Nami. "Lead the way," Ricky instructed as he pointed to the door.

"You'd better live up to your part of the deal the second we find those swords," Nami warned him as she went to the door and glanced outside. Ricky simply watched her

"Alright the coast is clear," Nami reported as she quickly left the room. Ricky nodded and followed after her.

**-x-**

Meanwhile in another part of the Marine Base Luffy had already found Helmeppo's room. "Alright I found the sword!" exclaimed Luffy, but he was soon presented with a problem, there were three swords and he didn't know which one was Zoro's. "There are three swords here, which one is Zoro's?" Luffy asked Helmeppo.

Luffy looked down and suddenly noticed that Helmeppo had passed out, but then he heard a noise coming from outside. Luffy looked outside and saw a line of marines pointing their guns at Zoro and Coby. "COBY!"

**-x-**

Out in the holding yard Captain Morgan was still addressing Zoro and Coby. "You've pulled some interesting moves around here. What is this, some kind of rebellion planned with Straw Hat!" Captain Morgan said to Zoro and Coby, referring to them and Luffy. He hadn't seen Ricky _or_ _Nami_ yet.

"I've always fought alone like a real man does," said Zoro. "Not like a coward, who hides behind his wall of expendable cronies."

"Roronoa Zoro, don't you dare underestimate me. You may be a strong fighter, but under my authority you're just a rat to be thrown out with the trash!" With his taunting complete Morgan turned to the marines, "TAKE AIM!"

"_No!"_ Zoro thought to himself as he stared at the marines and their guns. _"I can't afford to die here." _Zoro's thoughts shifted to a black-haired girl.

"_You're weak Zoro," said the girl in his mind, "nothing ever changes."_

"FIRE!" Captain Morgan ordered.

**-x-**

Luffy grabbed the three swords and placed his arms on the windowsill, then stepped backwards, **BREEEEN!** Luffy's arms stretched while still holding onto the window. "GUM… GUM… ROCKET!" Luffy shouted as he launched himself forward. **KRASH! **Luffy went crashing through the window and out flew through the air out of the building and up into the sky.

**-x-**

**BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOMB!** The marines fired their guns, but Luffy suddenly landed in front of Zoro and Coby and took the bullets himself. **PAP! PAP! PAP! PAP!**

"LUFFY NO!" Coby screamed.

"STRAW HAT!" Captain Morgan yelled.

**BREEEN!** Everyone looked in shock as the bullets embedded into Luffy and stretched backwards. "IT'S NO USE!" exclaimed Luffy, **BA-ZING!** The bullets were launched forwards and shot all over the place, one whizzed right passed Captain Morgan's head.

"Hahaha!" Luffy stood there laughing, completely unharmed. "That won't work on me! Told ya I was strong!"

"What _are_ you?" Zoro demanded.

"My name's Monkey D. Luffy," Luffy introduced himself. "And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy turned to Zoro and held out the three swords that he had with him, "Which one is yours? I couldn't figure it out, so I brought all three of them."

"They're _all_ mine," Zoro told him, "I practice _Santoryu_, the three-sword style!"

"Fighting the marines is going make you an outlaw," said Luffy. "But you could always obey the law and let them kill you."

"You must be devil spawn," Zoro commented, "because if I had to chose between dying and becoming a pirate. I'LL BECOME A PIRATE!"

**-x-**

"Damn, someone's already been here," Ricky observed, as he and Nami entered an extremely feminine looking bedroom. The swords were nowhere to be seen, but Ricky noticed a smashed window telling him that Luffy had been here and had gotten the swords first.

"Nice observation," Nami remarked, "Now come on, you still have to live up to your part of the deal!"

Ricky shook his head, "Our deal was, if I get the safe opened, you'd help me find Zoro's swords. Then we decided when we found Zoro's swords, I'd give you what I got out of the safe in exchange for your help. I don't see Zoro's swords here, do you?"

"You could just give it to me," Nami suggested with a small smile and a wink.

"Give it to you?" Ricky repeated. "I don't know you, I'm not about to give you something for nothing."

"Maybe I could convince you otherwise," Nami offered as she slowly approached Ricky deliberately swaying her hips as she walked. _"He's cute enough to use my extra-special pirate thwarting technique. And it's not like I'll ever see him again."_

Ricky raised his eyebrow as Nami pressed up against him then tilted her head up and batted her eyelashes at him. "What's the matter? You like girls don't you? Or do you prefer playing with swords?"

"Are you questioning my sexuality?"

"No," Nami replied. "I just wanted to be sure you wouldn't be opposed to me doing this…" Nami pushed herself up onto her toes then reached up and grabbed the sides of a much taller Ricky's face then pulled him down to her and kissed him.

While Nami distracted Ricky with the kiss and ran one of her hands through his hair, she sent her other hand down to Ricky's bottom right pocket and fished out the roll of paper. Nami quickly slipped her 'chart' into the waistband of her skirt, and broke the kiss, having gotten what she wanted.

"I guess that'll do," Ricky commented, as he slowly walked backwards to the smashed window. "See ya," he called out then he lunged out of the window and dropped out of sight, leaving Nami alone in Helmeppo's feminine looking bedroom.

"Works every time," Nami said to herself as she fished the roll of paper out of the waistband of her skirt and unrolled her prize. She glanced down at it then shouted, "DAMN IT!"

The paper was a note that read _'I have flashily taken the chart.'_ It was signed by Buggy the Clown. Nami had kissed him all for nothing but hopefully she'd never see him again. Now she needed to find Buggy the Clown and get the chart from him. With that, she quickly left the room, looking to escape the marine base.

**-x-**

I introduced Nami earlier than in the normal manga because I wanted to give Ricky something to do while Luffy took all of those bullets, so I had him have his first of many encounters with everyone's favorite navigator/cat burglar.

Next chapter, Luffy, Ricky, and Zoro take on Captain Morgan and his marines. And Zoro explains his dream to be number one.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	4. Chapter 3

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Summary:** There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line, where they can make their dreams come true.

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

**Number One**

**-x-**

"YEAH!" Luffy cheered, "Now we're Nakama!" Roronoa Zoro had just agreed to join Luffy's pirate crew. Now there were three of them. Luffy stood beside Zoro, who was still tied up and did a celebratory jig.

"Okay now hurry up and cut these ropes," said Zoro, who didn't want Luffy to get distracted.

"What is he?" asked one of the marines, "Bullets bounce right off of him!"

"He's no ordinary human," said Captain Morgan. "He must have eaten one of the 'Devil Fruit'!"

"He ate one of the ocean's secret treasures?" questioned a marine. "His special ability is because of this fruit!"

"Captain, he's untying Zoro's ropes!" another marine pointed out.

"Well, stop him you fools! If bullets don't work, use your swords to kill him!" The marines followed the order and drew their swords and then charged.

"Damn, this knot is tough," Luffy complained, he was having a hard time getting the knot holding Zoro's arm.

"C'mon hurry up!" Zoro yelled, who could see the charging marines. Meanwhile Coby had just woken up.

"I think I just made it tighter now," said Luffy as he continued struggling with the knot.

"We don't have time for this!" Zoro snapped.

"Luffy, Zoro, watch out!" Coby yelled as something suddenly ran by him.

"**Luffy, move,"** Ricky instructed as he ran over. He was no longer wearing the marine uniform and quickly drew his curved red blade and cut the ropes on one of Zoro's arms.

"Quick, give me my swords!" Zoro ordered. Luffy handed Zoro his three swords as the marines started closing in. No one noticed Ricky cutting himself with his sword and the blood mysteriously being absorbed by the red blade before he slid it back into the sheath.

"ANOTHER ONE!" Captain Morgan yelled when he noticed Ricky. "THOSE WHO OPPOSE ME MUST DIE! KILL THEM ALL!"

**KLANG! **Ricky had cut Zoro free and now the Pirate Hunter was using his three swords to hold back eight marines.

"WHAT THE…" Morgan roared.

"Wow, cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Hm," said Ricky with thinly veiled interest.

"The next one who moves dies!" said Zoro as he continued holding back the intimidated marines.

"Alright, I'm a pirate," Zoro resolved. "I gave you my word, and I never go back on my word. But hear this, I still have a mission to fulfill. I'm going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman! All I have left is my destiny. My name may be infamous, but it is going to shake the world! And if any of you do something that gets in the way of my goals, you'll find yourselves at the business end of my swords."

"The World's Greatest Swordsman," said Luffy with a smile, "that's great. And it's fitting since your new Captain is going to be King of the Pirates. Anything else would make me look bad."

"You talk big," Zoro commented while still holding back all the marines.

"We can back it up," said Ricky. "I'm gonna be the Ultimate Treasure Hunter when I find the Ultimate Treasure: One Piece."

"What are you standing around for?" Morgan demanded, "Hurry up and kill them!"

"Zoro, duck," Luffy ordered as he moved his foot back. "GUM… GUM… WHIP!" **SWOOOINNNG!** As Luffy whipped his leg around it stretched out passed the marines **SWAK!** Luffy's rubber leg slammed into the marines and sent them flying.

"Wow, incredible!" Coby gasped.

"What the devil are you?" Zoro asked as he turned to Luffy.

"I'm a rubber man!" Luffy answered.

"A rubber man?" a marine repeated out of fear.

"Captain we can't kill this rubber monster, and that demon Roronoa Zoro at the same time!" another complained.

"And that third pirate has yet to do anything!" a third added, "But if he's with that rubber monster and the half-demon Roronoa Zoro he HAS to be tough!"

Ricky grinned, he knew full well he wasn't as strong as Luffy, or even Zoro. But through association he was seen as some sort of monster.

"Those of you who were complaining just now, will take your guns and shoot yourself in the head," Captain Morgan ordered, "I WON'T TOLERATE USELESS SOLDIERS! NOW THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Ricky stared indifferently, but Luffy and Zoro had more vocal reactions. "Something's wrong with those marines," Zoro commented.

"Hey, we're your enemies kill us instead!" Luffy called out as he charged at the marines, Ricky followed behind him.

Luffy noticed Ricky behind him and leapt over the marines, going right after Captain. Morgan, leaving Ricky to take on the marines. "Alright men," said the leader of the marines, "Hold your positions! Hold your…"

Ricky lunged forward and lashed out his leg, "JAVELIN KICK!" **CRUNCH!** Ricky drove the steel sole of his boot into the marine leader's jaw. The impact of the steel on the bone was enough to fracture the jaw and knock the marine down to the ground. The marine didn't say anything else, he was out cold.

"Now," said Ricky as he addressed the other marines as he took his sheathed hooked sword off of his belt and pulled it out slightly, to show the red blade. "This is _Akaikyuuketsuki_, which means Red Vampire. Like a real vampire, my sword drinks blood. Every time I draw it I have to provide a blood sacrifice. If I don't provide the blood sacrifice, it won't work properly. I can get the blood from you or myself if I have to…" Ricky paused and held up his wrist to show the marines the cut he had made on himself after cutting the ropes holding Zoro. "I've had this sword for ten years and have never failed to make a blood sacrifice. If I pull this out all the way, _someone_ is going to bleed."

**GULP!** A few of the marines looked nervous since they didn't exactly _want_ to bleed.

"You have two choices. One, you can stay and fight, I'll draw my sword and the majority of you are going to be bleeding when it's over. I'm a main character, and you're a bunch of nameless marines, you don't stand a chance. Your other option is to save yourselves from a great deal of pain and leave now."

The marines looked startled. Was this guy serious? Judging from the look in his eye, and the cut on his arm he was deadly serious. And what was that other thing? "I'm going to count to five," Ricky continued. "When I'm done I'm going to draw my sword. I suggest you get out of here before then, otherwise someone's blood is going to be spilled." Ricky looked down the line of frightened marines, "One…" they showed no sign of moving, but were all extremely nervous.

"Two…" still no sign of moving. He didn't look _that_ tough, he was just a punk kid with a strangely colored sword. He was only six feet tall, he wasn't _that_ big. Captain Morgan was taller than him. If they attacked him together they might be able to overwhelm him, they had the numbers advantage… that is… if you didn't count the rubber monster that was fighting the Captain… or the demon in human form Roronoa Zoro the Pirate Hunter… or that tiny kid with the glasses…

"Three…" Ricky slowly pulled _Akaikyuuketsuki_ halfway out of the sheath, exposing even more of the curved blood-red blade. Ricky locked eyes with a marine on the end of the line and stared at him. The marine stared into Ricky's one visible eye, it appeared to be just as calm as the pirate. How could this guy be so calm about slaughtering all of them? The marines started shaking all over… the pirate wasn't looking away from him. _If_ fighting broke out, he'd probably be the first one to get slashed. That wasn't something that sounded very appealing.

"Four…" The marine that Ricky was staring at didn't want to stick around and promptly dropped his sword and ran. All they needed was one marine to start it, as one, the other marines turned and ran after their retreating comrade, in a matter of seconds they were gone.

"That's what I thought," said Ricky as he slid his red blade back into the sheath and put it back on his red belt. Ricky had just taken out an entire squadron of marines by talking to them.

"Nice bluff," Zoro commented as Ricky walked over.

"Who says it was a bluff?" asked Ricky. "They're following mob mentality, they need a leader to do anything. I took out the one who was giving orders with one kick, leaving them without one since the Captain was busy with Luffy. It merely took me making one of them run away before mob mentality took over again and sent them all running."

"Uh… sure…" Zoro replied who hadn't managed to follow what the one-eyed pirate had said. Zoro wasn't sure what to make of this other pirate. The rubber one was obviously in charge, but this one seemed to be dangerously smart. He was the one that gave that 'Luffy' character the idea to invade the marine base and steal back his swords and he had scared away a squadron of marines by _talking_ to them. That was impressive. He had also saved that little girl from that wolf three weeks ago, and despite getting clawed at and bitten, he got back up and acted like it was nothing. That sword of his also seemed interesting, Zoro wondered if the pirate knew how to use it. He'd have to keep an eye on him… both of them. With that in mind, Zoro turned and watched as Luffy fought Captain Morgan.

**WHUNK! **Morgan went to chop Luffy with his axe, but Luffy got his arm up and blocked it. "Hmph, you have neither rank, nor status," Captain Morgan told Luffy as he struggled to overpower the Straw Hat Pirate. "I'll teach you to respect you betters! I'm Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan!"

"Nice to meet ya," Luffy replied, "I'm 'Straw Hat' Luffy."

"DIE!" Morgan shouted as he swung his axe around at Luffy's head. **SLISH!** Luffy ducked, causing Morgan to miss, then Luffy jumped up and over his head.

Morgan lifted his axe up again and swung down at Luffy, but Luffy moved out of the way **FWHAM!** Luffy jumped out of the way, causing Morgan to drive his axe into the ground and create a large crack.

Luffy jumped up over Morgan's head while his axe was still in the ground, then he lashed out his legs and drove his feet into the Marine Captain's face, **WHUNK!**

Morgan went crashing down to the ground, but quickly got back up, "You little bastard!"

Luffy charged at Morgan and jumped up into the air, Morgan raised his axe above his head and swung it down at the approaching Luffy. **SWISH!** Luffy spun around in midair and kicked Morgan in the face, **KA-WAK!**

Again, Morgan went crashing to the ground. Everyone marveled at how Luffy was dismantling the Marine Captain. "You and your marines ruined Coby's dream!" Luffy yelled as he brought back his fist and punched Morgan in the face, **POW! **He pulled back his hand and went to punch him again.

"**STOP!**" came a suddenly loud voice, but Luffy ignored it, **POW!** Luffy drove his fist into Morgan's face for a big punch. "YOU IDIOT, I TOLD YOU TO STOP!"

It was Helmeppo and he had a gun pointed at Coby's head. "ONE FALSE MOVE AND FOUR-EYES GET IT!" shrieked Helmeppo.

Everyone stopped moving. Zoro and Ricky stood in between Helmeppo and Luffy, who stood up and stepped away from Morgan.

"Luffy," Coby bravely said, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! I'M NOT AFRAID TO DIE!"

"Okay, I know," said Luffy with a grin. "You stupid bastard," Luffy said to Helmeppo, "Coby's not afraid of death! Go ahead and shoot!"

"Fine, I'll shoot him!" Helmeppo threatened as he prepared to shoot.

"You can try," Ricky stated as he stared Helmeppo in the eye. "But the question is, will you be able to kill him before I get to you?"

"Wh-what?" Helmeppo stammered in shock.

Ricky looked over his shoulder at Luffy, "With your permission Captain, I'd like to handle this."

"Go for it," Luffy replied with a nod and a smile.

"Everyone's been hitting you lately," Ricky pointed out as he turned his attention back on Helmeppo, still as calm as ever. "Zoro hit you three weeks ago, Luffy hit you earlier, judging from the bruise on the other side of your face 'daddy' probably hit you too. I'm starting to feel left out."

Helmeppo started shaking, this guy had taken countless punches to the face over the passed three weeks without even flinching. Given the strength of Roronoa Zoro and the rubber monster he was bound to be strong too. Getting hit by this guy wasn't a pleasant thought.

"You spent the last three weeks punching me and I never fought back once," Ricky reminded him. "The only thing I did was sneak Zoro some food so he'd survive your stupid agreement. Tell me, did you enjoy it?"

"W-well I…"

"I endured in silence for three weeks all for this moment," said Ricky as he glared at Helmeppo, "The moment when I'd be able to finally hit you back."

"Y-you w-wouldn't d-dare!" Helmeppo stammered, the gun he was pointing at Coby's head was shaking. "I… I've got a hostage! I'll sh-shoot him!

"Have you ever killed anyone before?" asked Ricky calmly as he slowly took a step towards Helmeppo, leaving Zoro standing between him and Luffy. Behind Luffy, Captain Morgan was slowly getting back up. "Hitting someone when they can't defend themselves is one thing. But actually taking a life is another entirely. You're too much of a pansy to kill anyone, you always have your daddy and your little boy-toys do it."

Ricky took another step towards the trembling Helmeppo, his hold on the gun was loosening. "Now you have to wonder, will you be able to find the resolve to kill that boy and pull the trigger before I get to you? No daddy to hide behind now. You're gonna have to be a man and fight for yourself."

**GULP!** Helmeppo's hand was sweaty and the gun was barely pointed at Coby's head any more. "DADDY KILL HIM!" Helmeppo shrieked as he pointed his gun at Ricky and fired, **CLICK!**

Luffy, Ricky, Zoro, Coby, and even Captain Morgan – who had just gotten up and had his axe up in the air over Luffy's head – stopped and stared in surprise.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU DIDN'T EVEN RELOAD IT!" Morgan bellowed, forgetting about hitting Straw Hat for a split second.

But that was all it took. Zoro rushed passed Luffy at Morgan while he was distracted by his son's incompetence and slashed all three swords, "DEMON SLICE!" **SLOSH! **Zoro used all three of his swords to cut Morgan across the chest, the Marine Captain went crashing down to the ground and was out cold.

"DADDY NOOO!" Helmeppo wailed as Ricky rushed at him and lashed out his leg.

"Javelin… KICK!" **CRUNCH!** Ricky drove the steel sole of his boot into Helmeppo's cleft chin. One of his teeth went flying out as he went flying up into the air then came crashing down to the ground already unconscious, **THUD!**

"Nice job guys," said Luffy with a huge smile, both the Marine Captain and his idiot son were out cold.

"No sweat, _Captain_," Zoro replied while Ricky gave Luffy a 'thumbs up'.

**-x-**

**Friends:**

**-x-**

"The Captain lost!" a shocked marine gasped, who was hiding off to the side, "Captain Morgan has been defeated!"

"If they still want to die," Zoro said loudly, "why should we deny them that opportunity?" He turned to the marines and looked at them directly, "If any of you still want to arrest us come and get us!" Ricky folded his arms across his chest and looked indifferent, while Luffy turned and stared at them as well.

The marines all paused for a moment, then to all of the pirates' surprise, threw up their weapons and shouted in elation.

"WE'RE FREE!"

"WE ARE OUT OF MORGAN'S CONTROL!"

"LONG LIVE THE MARINES!"

"What's going on?" Zoro wondered while Ricky raised an eyebrow. "They seem happy that Morgan was defeated. Is this more mob mentality?"

"No," Ricky answered.

"Everyone hated Morgan," Coby observed. "He was beaten so they don't have to follow his orders now."

**FWUMP! **Now that he was given an explanation and now that the adrenalin had worn off, Zoro went crashing to the ground and passed out.

"He's not dead," Ricky reported calmly after taking a second to check on him, "just really hungry." Having a meal snuck to him a few nights a week would only get you so far, the days he had gone without food had finally caught up to him.

**-x-**

A little while later Luffy, Coby, Ricky, and Zoro were all sitting at a table in the familiar tavern. Ririka had been kind enough to give them an extra-large amount of food. Coby and Ricky ate a normal amount, but that couldn't be said for Luffy and Zoro. Zoro hadn't eaten for days and was making up for it, while Luffy… he was just hungry.

"I'm stuffed!" Zoro announced when he was finally done, "Not eating regularly was worse than I thought!"

"See, you would have never lasted a month," said Luffy as he kept eating.

"Look at you," Zoro pointed out. "You're eating more than me!"

"He has a rubber stomach," Ricky explained, "it stretches like the rest of him and takes a while to fill."

"Even I ate quite a bit," Coby admitted.

"Don't worry," said Ririka, "You saved our town, it's the least I can do!"

Ricky dug into his bottom left pocket and pulled out a sack of what sounded like gold, it was the same one he had bet Nami last chapter. "Take this," Ricky instructed his employer as he handed her the sack. "I'll pay for the food."

"No I couldn't…" Ririka protested as she tried to hand the sack back.

"I insist," said Ricky as he folded his arms across his chest, leaving no room for argument.

"Th-thank you. You've done so much for me this last month, your friends too. I'll never be able to repay you."

Ricky simply shrugged, "Would this be a good time to tell you that I quit?"

"You were great!" Rika told Luffy.

"Yeah I know," said Luffy, "And I'll become even greater!"

"So what's next?" asked Zoro.

"We're heading for the Grand Line!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Already?" questioned Ricky.

"That's suicide!" Coby yelled, "The three of you would never survive on your own! Don't you understand, the world's strongest pirates all gather there!"

"I've heard rumors about that place from sailors that came through here," Ririka added. "Most people that go there, never come back. The only person I've ever known who's been to the Grand Line and left alive is your new First Mate." Ririka gave Ricky a pointed look.

"Luffy," said Ricky. "I was there for a while the last two years and I saw stuff that would make Morgan whimper like a baby. If we're gonna find One Piece and go to the Grand Line, we're going to need a ship, and more supplies."

"If we're going after One Piece then we're going to have to go there eventually," Zoro reasoned.

"I know," Ricky agreed. "I'm all for it, I'm just saying we're unprepared."

"You guys are talking crazy!" Coby shouted.

"What are you so worried about?" Zoro asked, "It's not like you're coming with us."

"But I'm worried about you!" Coby exclaimed. "Is that so wrong? Can't I worry about my friends?" Coby turned to Luffy, "Luffy, even though we just met, but we are friends, aren't we?"

"Yep!" answered Luffy with a big smile. "Even though we're going out separate ways, we'll always be friends."

"You're the first real friend I ever had," said Coby, who looked like he was about to cry, "You were the first one who ever stood up for me. Even I wouldn't stand up for myself! But thanks to you guys I learned to fight for my dreams."

"That's why we're going to the Grand Line," said Luffy.

"Makes sense to me," Zoro agreed.

"But, wait a minute, Luffy, I'm trying to convince you that you're being too reckless!" Coby snapped.

"First of all, you'd better worry about yourself," Zoro advised as he tapped one of his swords on Coby's head. "Even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship, you were still aiding pirates. Don't underestimate the marines' ability to gather information. If they know about your past they won't let you enlist."

"Well if you're both set on going to the Grand Line so soon…" Ricky commented, "Then I think I know where we can get a chart."

"**Excuse me**," came a voice. Everyone turned to see Commander Ripper, a dark skinned marine with a neat black goatee. He wore a traditional marine uniform but also had a dark green necktie, signifying his rank as Commander. He was one rank below Captain Morgan and now that the corrupt officer had been defeated, he was taking over. Standing behind him was a battalion of other marines. "You guys are pirates right?"

"Yep," Luffy answered, "And I just got my first two crew members! That makes me an official pirate captain!"

"You're not supposed to tell them that," Ricky muttered.

"You saved our town," said Commander Ripper, "And we are truly grateful. However we are still marines and we can not allow you to stay any longer. I'll have to ask you to leave. But to show our gratitude we won't report you to Marine Headquarters."

"Hey marines, what are you saying?" an angry villager exclaimed, "They saved this town! They're your heroes as much as they are ours!"

"Well I guess we'll be leaving," said Luffy as he, Zoro, and Ricky stood up, "Thank you for the food ma'am." The three pirates were emotionless as the walked passed Coby and towards the door.

"Aren't you with them?" Ripper asked Coby.

"I…" Coby trailed off when he remembered Luffy saying how they'd always be friends, "I'm not… I'm not with them!" A small smirk appeared on Luffy's face as he headed out the door.

"Excuse me, pirates," the Commander called out as he turned back to Luffy, "Is he telling the truth?"

Luffy slowly turned around, "I know what this guy used to do…" Luffy started to say, causing Coby to stare in shock, silently begging Luffy not to continue. At the same time Ricky slowly leaned back against the door frame.

"I can't remember where," Luffy continued. "But there was this FAAAT female pirate… I think her name was Alvida…"

"Stop,"Coby mumbled, "If they know I worked on a pirate ship before… then they won't let me join the marines. Don't say anymore."

"It was this fierce and ugly female pirate," Luffy continued as he walked over and poked Coby's head, "this guy spent two years…"

"Please… shut up…" Coby whimpered, he was going to lose his best chance of joining the marines, "SHUT UP!" **POW!** Coby suddenly swung his fist and punched Luffy in the face. Ricky and Zoro just stood there and watched their Captain go down like a ton of bricks.

"Why you little…" Luffy growled, **KA-POW! **He retaliated and punched Coby in the face, "Take that! And this!" **POW! POW!  
**

"ENOUGH!" Commander Ripper shouted. "Both of you stop! I won't allow this town to have anymore fights!" Zoro walked forward and pulled Luffy off of Coby.

"I can tell he isn't your friend," said Ripper. "Now please, leave this town immediately!"

Zoro dragged Luffy passed the marines and out the door, Ricky turned to the marine leader who was staring at him then fished into his pocket and pulled out a bag of money that he had gotten out of Captain Morgan's safe.

"I got this from Morgan's safe in the Marine Base," he informed Ripper as he handed him the bag. "These people need it more than I do, see that it gets to them. We're pirates, so we can always steal more from someone else." With that he turned and followed after Luffy and Zoro, leaving Coby lying on the floor.

"_That was his plan,"_ Coby thought to himself. _"He did it for me, he wanted to make me mad and make me hit him. Even in the very end I still needed his help. What am I helpless? Am I that pathetic? If I don't take this chance then everything they did will be a waste!"_

Coby slowly stood up, while the three pirates calmly walked out of town towards the dock. Luffy and Zoro had almost gone the wrong way, but Ricky grabbed them and pulled them along with him. It was good that they had someone with a sense of direction.

"Please, let me join the marines!" Coby requested of the Commander. "Even if it's chores, I will do them!"

"Commander, I'm against it," a marine protested, "We can not accept a person whose past is so unclear. There have been events where pirates have joined the marines to be spies! We need to properly check his background before we can decide."

"I'M NOT A PIRATE!" Coby shouted, he wasn't going to be pushed around, "MY DREAM IS TO BECOME A MARINE!"

Ripper stared at Coby and was surprised by the determined look on his face, "I can't tell you how many of our comrades have been killed by pirates over the years, this is a big step you're taking."

"S-so…"

"Permission to join granted," Commander Ripper stated.

"Thank you, sir!" said Coby with a salute.

**-x-**

"Luffy, it's a good thing you're a pirate, not an actor," Ricky told his brother as they reached the harbor.

"That was pretty bad," Zoro agreed, "I wouldn't be surprised if they saw right through it."

"Well it's all up to Coby now," Luffy replied, he didn't care if he had bad acting skills. The King of the Pirates doesn't need to act he just needs to be a great pirate. "Whether Coby gets in or not is up to him."

"It's good to be leaving," said Zoro, "Everyone hates us."

"No they don't," Ricky reminded him. "We freed them from Captain Morgan. Now the marines that aren't corrupt can change things for the better. The people can get their money back and live better lives without Morgan taxing them like crazy. We helped a lot of people. We're heroes to the people of this town."

"I guess we're not your typical example of pirates," Zoro remarked.

"You're a former Pirate Hunter, I'm a former Treasure Hunter, and…"

"**L-LUFFY!**" came Coby's voice, causing all three pirates to turn and see their friend panting and out of breathe. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME!" Then Coby raised his hand and saluted the pirates, beside him, Rika and Ririka had come along too.

"That's new," Ricky remarked.

"I've never seen a marine salute a pirate before," Zoro commented.

"Big Brother, were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" Rika called after Ricky.

"I knew I forgot something," Ricky replied, he walked over to Rika and knelt down so she could hug him. "Take care."

Ricky stood up and nodded at Ririka, "You too ma'am, thank you for—"

"Come here, you!" Ririka reached out and hugged Ricky too, "I'm the one who should be thanking you. The three of you freed the village from those criminals. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Ricky told her. "Seriously, don't. We don't want the marines coming after us when we've just started out." With one final nod towards Rika and her mother Ricky turned around then ran and jumped into the boat Luffy and Zoro had gotten situated in. "They said 'thank you'," he told his Nakama.

"Coby, we'll meet again someday!" Luffy called out as they pushed off from the dock and began sailing off.

"**ATTEN-TION!**" came a loud voice, "GROUP SALUTE!" Then to everyone's surprise, Commander Ripper and all of the marines raised their hands and saluted the three pirates.

"You've got some great friends there," Ripper commented as the little boat started setting off, "NOW! We just saluted pirates and violated marine codes. So, as punishment, we will all go without food for three days!"

"Yes sir," the other marines chorused, not worried about the consequences.

"_I know that we'll meet again some day,"_ Coby thought to himself. _"Deep inside I feel it as much as I've ever felt anything. Even if we are divided as pirates and marines, I still look forward to that day."_

**-x-**

Off in a distance the small sailboat was drifting off wherever the wind took it. Luffy stood at the front of the boat staring at the sea in front of them, while Zoro sat down and leaned against the side. Ricky was leaning back against the mast and was staring up at the clouds. "At last our pirate crew has set sail."

"I've got the feeling some interesting adventures are waiting for us," said Zoro.

"And if that's the way our first team-up ended, I can only imagine what those are gonna end like," Ricky commented.

"Hahaha, I'll be King of the Pirates, I know it," Luffy said mostly to himself as he stared off into the horizon.

'Straw Hat' Luffy and his new Nakama, 'One Eye' Ricky, and 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro set sail. Luffy's Nakama may have grown, but so have the obstacles and challenges that lay ahead of them.

**-x-**

Next chapter marks the first chapter of the Buggy the Clown Arc. Ricky is going to have another encounter with the thief named Nami.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	5. Chapter 4

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Summary:** There's another pirate on board the Going Merry with his own dreams and ambitions. Follow the Straw Hat Pirate Crew as they begin their journey to the Grand Line, where they can make their dreams come true.

**Rating:** T for Language, Violence, and Blood.

**Nami**

**-x-**

The three Straw Hat Pirates were drifting along in their little boat in comfortable silence. But the silence was eventually broken by Luffy.

"I'm starving!" Luffy complained. Luffy and Zoro were sitting in the bottom of the boat while Ricky was up top watching the clouds up above them. He was lying back on the wooden rigging on top of the sail and somehow managed to balance himself there while he rested his head against the tip of the mast.

"It's funny that you have absolutely no navigation skills," Zoro commented to Luffy.

"Why?" asked Luffy, "Drifting has worked pretty well for me so far. What about you? You're supposed to be the terror of the seas!"

"I don't recall ever calling myself that," said Zoro, "I followed a pirate I was after out to sea, but I couldn't find my way back home. So I made the best of things and went after the pirates that were in the area. I had to get some money somehow…"

"So you got lost?" questioned Luffy.

"SHUT UP!" Zoro snapped, "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT IT LIKE THAT! Anyway, what kind of pirate doesn't know how to navigate? Ricky was right, at this rate we'll never make it to the Grand Line. We've got to find a Navigator as soon as possible."

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, "and a cook, and a musician…"

"THOSE CAN WAIT!" Zoro exclaimed, then he and Luffy promptly fell back on the floor of the boat. Zoro wondered what he'd gotten himself into when he agreed to join up with such a simple-minded captain.

"I'm starving," Luffy complained once again.

"Guys," Ricky addressed the other two as he climbed down from on top of the sail, and sat down in the bottom with the other two. "I have no idea where we are. I haven't navigated the East Blue in ages. We need a map or an _actual_ Navigator."

"Didn't you say you knew where to get a chart to the Grand Line?" asked Luffy, who's short memory span was actually pretty good when it pertained to something that interested him.

"I did," Ricky answered. "When I was looking for Zoro's swords in the Marine Base I came across this thief. She was trying to steal a chart to the Grand Line, but someone already took it."

"So how do we get it?" asked Luffy.

"We need to find a pirate named Buggy the Clown," Ricky explained. "He's the one who stole the chart. He _sh__ould_ still have it, unless the thief managed to beat us there and already stole it from him."

It was silent as Luffy and Zoro thought about what they had to do. Ricky broke the silence when he suddenly asked, "Is that a bird?" Oddly enough, he wasn't even looking up.

"Yeah! Look at that turkey!" exclaimed Luffy as he stared up at the pink bird flying above them, "It looks pretty big." Everyone paused and looked up at the bird, they no longer had any food and were really hungry, "LET'S EAT IT!" Luffy decided.

"Huh? How?" Zoro wondered.

"I'll catch it," Luffy offered as he grabbed the sides of the boat and then walked backwards, his hands stayed where they were while his arms stretched.

"Wait Luffy," Ricky interrupted. "That's not a good idea. There's a very low probability of you and that bird landing in the boat. You'll most likely end up in the water, and we all know that you can't swim."

"But I'm hungry!" Luffy complained.

"Shoot_ me_ up there, I'll catch it," Ricky suggested as he climbed back up onto the top of the sail and somehow stood balanced on the wooden rigging. "At least _I_ can swim."

"Oh, okay," Luffy agreed. He stretched his arms upward and grabbed Ricky's shoulders then walked backwards, when he reached the end of the boat he hooked his foot on the edge and crouched down. When the bird got in position he let go and shouted, "GUM… GUM… SLINGSHOT!" **SPLOING!** Luffy went flying forward and up, **WHAM! **Luffy slammed hard into Ricky's back and launched him up into the air, **THUD!** Luffy dropped down onto the deck while Ricky went rocketing up towards the bird.

"How'd you come up with that?" Zoro inquired.

"Ricky's my brother, we've been doing stuff like this since we were kids," Luffy explained as he and Zoro stared up at Ricky as he got closer to the bird.

But suddenly the two of them realized that the bird was much bigger than it appeared. **CHOMP! **The bird opened its big beak and bit down around Ricky's middle, trapping him in its beak.

"Curse my lack of depth perception," the one-eyed pirate muttered, there was a large tick-mark on his forehead.

"Oops," said Luffy.

"You idiot!" Zoro scolded him.

"Guys… a little help…" Ricky called out, surprisingly not panicking as the giant bird flew off with him still clutched in its beak. He didn't want to attack the bird because he was floating high up above the water and even if he and the bird landed on the boat, with the size of the bird, it'd probably capsize their little vessel.

"COME BACK YOU GIANT TURKEY!" Luffy hollered after the bird as he grabbed the oars and started rowing the boat after it. "I WANNA EAT YOU! …and rescue Ricky."

"RESUING THE FIRST MATE IS AN AFTER THOUGHT?" Zoro yelled. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was hungry!" Luffy protested as he kept rowing at a frantic speed.

"Hey Luffy, look out behind you," Zoro advised as he noticed three figures bobbing up and down in the water directly in the path of the boat. "There are people in the water."

"Huh?" **WHAM**! The boat suddenly plowed into the three people in the water but the managed to grab onto the boat and pulled themselves on at the last minute.

"Great you made it," said Zoro as he glared at Luffy who hadn't stopped rowing in an attempt to catch his lunch."

"Were you _trying_ to run us over?" one of the now saved people demanded as he glared at Luffy.

"Why is this guy so reckless?" another one complained.

"Hey, stop the boat!" the third person commanded as he drew a sword. "We're pirates under Captain Buggy."

"What?" questioned Zoro, he and Luffy shared a glance and grinned.

**-x-**

Approximately five seconds later the three pirates were now rowing the boat. But in the time it took for Luffy and Zoro to take out the three of them, they had lost sign of the bird… and Ricky.

"We're sorry Mr. Pirate Hunter, Zoro, sir, Mr. Straw Hat, sir," apologized one of the pirates as they continued rowing one of the oars. The three pirates were a little band sometimes referred to as the Three Stooges. Their names were Curly, Larry, and Moe. (A/N: Not really, but I needed to give them names and they were the first incompetent trio I could think of.)

"You jerks made me lose track of my lunch!" Luffy snapped as he glared at them.

"And our First Mate," Zoro added.

"Him too!" Luffy agreed.

"Keep rowing," Zoro instructed, "because if we don't find him, the three of you will be very sorry."

"Why were you floating in the middle of the ocean?" Luffy curiously inquired, his short attention span went from his lost lunch… and First Mate, to their 'guests'.

"I'll tell you how! Thanks for reminding us," said a pirate wearing a hat with the insignia of Buggy the Clown on it, his name was Moe.

"It was that girl," said another pirate, he had big crazy looking orange hair and was called Larry.

"Yeah, it was all her fault!" Moe snapped.

"She was really cute though," the third pirate admitted, he had short hair, dark skin, and was chubby, he was called Curly.

"You see, the three of us just finished robbing a ship, and were on our way back to Captain Buggy," Larry started to explain.

The three pirates then explained to Luffy and Zoro how they had come across another boat, with a teenage girl, who appeared to be passed out, riding in it. The three pirates pulled up along side of it and to see what was going on.

The girl woke up and asked the pirates for help and promised them that she'd give them the gold in her treasure chest. The pirates hopped on board the girl's boat and checked her chest… her _treasure _chest, but it was empty.

The next thing they knew, the girl hopped into _their_ boat and sailed off with _their_ treasure. Then before they could catch up to her, a sudden storm came in and capsized the boat, causing all three pirates to struggle to swim in the water.

"And that's what happened," Moe finished, "Terrible, huh?"

"She predicted the weather, that girl must be something special," Zoro commented. "She'd make a great Navigator."

"We should recruit her!" decided Luffy. "We need a navigator like Ricky said… but I think we should get a musician first."

"WHAT!" shouted four voices.

"Pirates have to sing, right?" Luffy pointed out.

"You guys said you worked for _Buggy the Clown, _right?" asked Zoro in an attempt to change the subject.

"Who's this Captain Buggy?" Luffy wondered.

"Yes, Buggy the Clown is our Captain," Moe answered as he turned to the two Straw Hat Pirates. "Haven't you ever heard of _'Buggy the Clown'_? He's a dangerous man who ate one of the Devil's Fruit."

"Ate a Devil Fruit?" Zoro repeated, Luffy appeared to not be listening.

"_Wasn't Buggy the Clown the guy that Ricky said we needed to find?"_ Zoro thought to himself. _"If we want the map to the Grand Line, we'll have to get it from him somehow."_

"Hey, take us to see this Captain Buggy of yours," Zoro ordered.

"Yes sir!" the three Stooges agreed.

"What're you doing Zoro?" asked Luffy.

"Trying to find the First Mate, and a map to the Grand Line," Zoro answered.

"Hey! Good idea!" Luffy exclaimed.

**-x-**

A while away, on Organ Island was a deserted town called Orange Town. Docked at sea was a carnival themed pirate ship, which probably explained why the village was empty. Well… empty except for a certain eighteen year old orange-haired girl was running away as fast as she could. She was holding a rolled up piece of paper in her hand that appeared to be some sort of chart or map. Nami was wearing the same outfit she had been earlier today at Shell Town, a white and blue striped short-sleeved shirt and a short yellow skirt. On her feet were the same pair of high-heeled sandals.

"Stop! You can't run from us!" came a loud shout of a group of three large but strange looking pirates that were chasing after the girl, "Thief! Give us back that chart!"

"_I finally have it,"_ Nami said to herself as she ran off as fast as she could, _"The chart of the Grand Line."_

"Damn!" cursed one of the pirates chasing her. "If we don't get that chart back, we're dead! If Captain Buggy finds out what happened, he's gonna kill us!"

**-x-**

Meanwhile, on top of a pub near the harbor, "Captain Buggy, there's an unknown object flying in the air!" A pirate reported, "What should we do?"

"**Use the cannon and shoot it down,"** came Captain Buggy's order.

**-x-**

Nami was still running from the three pirates when a cannon was fired and struck an object flying overhead.** BOOOM! **Nami and the three pirates stared in shock as a red-haired teenage boy fell from the sky and crashed into the ground. **KRASH! **

"**Ow,"** came a calm voice in the cloud of smoke and dust.

The smoke cleared and revealed Ricky, slowly getting back up to his feet almost completely unscathed.

"What! He's still alive!" a pirate exclaimed.

"Where am I?" Ricky wondered as he glanced around him.

Suddenly Nami had an idea, she smiled ran up to the strange boy who had fallen out of the sky and hugged him, "BOSS!" she exclaimed, "You're finally here! I knew you'd come and save me! I'll just leave everything to you, and I'll let you handle these guys."

"Huh?" questioned Ricky as Nami released him and ran off, leaving him with the three pirates.

"Hey! She ran off again!" one of the pirates realized.

"We don't have to chase her anymore," said another pirate. "We've still got her boss right here. He's a bigger prize than she is."

The three pirates surrounded Ricky and were all at least two inches taller than him and all of them appeared to be going with the buff tough-guy look. But despite that, Ricky didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

"What now _boss_?" a pirate taunted. "That chart was property of Captain Buggy the Clown!"

"Chart?" Ricky repeated in confusion.

"You stole that chart from Captain Buggy, prepare to die!" The three pirates drew their swords and charged at Ricky in a triangle formation in order to keep him properly surrounded

"Captain Buggy?" Ricky questioned as he reached down and drew_ Akaikyuuketsuki_, he held the long handle of his sword with both hands then began to spin. "Red Blade…. TORNADO!" **SLA-SLISH! **While spinning Ricky swung his around and sliced all three of the pirates before they could defend themselves. Ricky stood there and the blood from the three pirates seemed to be absorbed into the red blade while the pirates were left with blood dripping out of gashes in their chest. **THUD!** The three of them went crashing to the ground unconscious. **SKISH!** Ricky slid the clean blade of his curved sword back into its sheath.

"**Wow,"** came a voice from a balcony overlooking the street. It turned out to be Nami, who had gone around the corner and climbed up onto the room of the house while Ricky was fighting. "You're really strong. You beat those guys with in less than five seconds! Hey wait a minute… you're that Treasure Hunter from the Shell Town Marine Base!"

"Hold on… don't tell me…" said Ricky as he tried to remember the girl's name. "Nami, the thief that robs pirates, right?"

**-x-**

**Femme Fatale**

**-x-**

"That's right, I rob pirates," Nami repeated. "You know if we team up and work together we could get a lot of treasure and make a fortune!"

"Why would I team up with you?" asked Ricky, who wasn't all that fond of teaming up with someone who robbed pirates, he was a pirate after-all. "Last time we ran into each other, neither of us was successful."

Nami quickly jumped down from the balcony and walked up to him, "But its strange how we keep running into each other," Nami pointed out. "First at the Marine Base, and then you come falling out of the sky. It's like fate or something."

"Don't talk to me about Fate," Ricky suddenly growled, his calm voice turned cold and held a hint of anger for the first time since his reappearance in the story. With that, he turned around and started walking off.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Nami called out as she followed him.

"Leave me alone," said Ricky as he started walking off, "I've got things to do."

**Grumble…** Ricky stomach betrayed him signifying that he was hungry.

"Look, you're obviously hungry," Nami observed, "I can help you find something to eat, and maybe you'll reconsider teaming up."

"Well… I guess I can't say no to a free meal," Ricky agreed.

"Alright, come on then!" Nami grabbed his hand and pulled him off through the deserted town in search of food.

**-x-**

Meanwhile on the roof of the Drinker's Pub, the flag of Buggy the Clown was flying. The skull and crossbones had a big red nose and crosses of eye make up on the eye holes, making it look like a clown. Down on the roof, Buggy the Clown was angry. "You still haven't caught that thief yet?" he asked some of his pirates. Buggy the Clown had blue hair, a big red nose and a skull and crossbones painted on his forehead which was visible under the Captain's hat he was wearing.

"We're trying to catch her, sir," a pirate reported in an attempt to calm down the easily-angered captain.

"This is inexcusable!" said Buggy, "How could you let the chart of the Grand Line get stolen? Just when we were about to head there and raise some hell!"

"Well you see Captain Buggy, sir," the pirate explained. "Someone left the chart out on a table in the pub downstairs. Now only the robber knows…"

"What did you say?" Captain Buggy interrupted.

"I said robber knows," the pirate answered, realizing too late that he had pissed Buggy off.

"WHAT RUBBER NOSE?" Buggy screeched as he turned over a chair and got ready to kill the foolish pirate. "Does my nose look funny to you?" Buggy demanded. Buggy's red clown nose was a very sensitive subject. Anyone who made fun of it, or said something that Buggy mistook for making fun of it, was punished severely.

"I didn't say that sir," the terrified pirate protested. "It was a mistake! I meant the thief!"

"SO NOW IT LOOKS FAKE! IT LOOKS LIKE BEEF!" Buggy shrieked in outrage, that was three times that the fool had 'insulted' his nose, now he'd pay! "FOR THIS YOU DIE!"

"Please Captain," came the pirate's strangled reply, "I didn't."

"Who am I?" Buggy growled as the pirate started floating up into the air, while holding his throat and gasping for breath.

"Captain… I can't breathe!" the pirate wheezed as his feet left the ground.

"Ready the cannon," Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown ordered as he sat back down on his chair and surveyed the scene before him.

"But I didn't do anything wrong!" the pirate protested.

"DIE FLASHILY!" Buggy screamed. **KA-BOOOM! **The cannon was fired and blasted the pirate with a huge explosion. When it cleared, there was nothing left. "Now get my chart back. And take all of the treasure left in this town."

"Yes sir!" came the pirates' reply as they scurried off. Buggy was in a bad mood and none of them wanted to linger and risk getting blown up with a cannon balls.

**-x-**

Sometime later, Nami and Ricky had found an abandoned house and Ricky had gotten his promised meal. Over that time he told Nami how he and his crew of _treasure hunters_ had gotten hungry and he had tried to catch a bird, only to miscalculate how big the bird really was and get caught in its beak and taken away. As a result he lost his Nakama.

"Weird," said Nami, once Ricky had told her how he had gotten separated from his crew, "So you lost your friends at sea? How big is your crew?"

"Just two other guys," Ricky answered. "This isn't your house, is it?"

"No. All of the people in the town have left because they're scared of Captain Buggy and his pirates," Nami explained. "The town is practically deserted, I've been staying at this house while I've been in town."

"Captain Buggy? Oh, so that means you got that chart you were after."

"Yup," Nami replied as she held up the rolled up chart she had stolen from Buggy. "Thanks to this I can go to the Grand Line. I've got to collect one hundred million berries, and then I'm going to buy a certain village."

"Buy a village? Typical pirates don't have that much. You'll have to go after really tough pirates if you wanna get that kind of money."

"That's why I've got this," Nami said as she held up the chart again, "First I'm gonna steal Buggy's treasure, then I plan to head to the Grand Line and steal treasure from the famous pirates there. What do you think? Do you want to join me? I could use a tough guy like you."

"Tempting," Ricky commented.

"Come on, surely a Treasure Hunter like you can appreciate some good treasure," Nami continued to press him. "Together we'll make a fortune, and we can split it fifty-fifty."

"I don't know…"

Nami leaned over the table and batted her eyes at him, "I'm told I can be great company," she said with a flirty wink.

"Hm…" Ricky thought it over for a moment and was seemingly oblivious to the orange haired girl that was attempting to flirt with him, "Do you know anything about navigation?"

"Of course I do," Nami quickly answered, "I'm the best navigator around."

"That's convenient. My Nakama and I are in need of a decent navigator, and we were planning on heading to the Grand Line too."

"Really?"

"You could be our navigator and we could go to the Grand Line together. I've been there before, and I can honestly tell you, you won't stand a chance on your own."

"Sure!" Nami agreed eagerly. _"This Treasure Hunter and his friends can beat everyone up, and I'll walk away with all the treasure."_

"There's just one catch though…"

"What?" asked Nami as her eyes narrowed.

"Well… I'm not exactly a Treasure Hunter anymore. I recently became the First Mate of a relatively new pirate crew."

"FORGET IT! You lied to me, _pirate_! You said you were a Treasure Hunter! If there's one thing in this world I can't stand, its pirates! But I love money and tangerines."

"To be fair, when I told you I was a Treasure Hunter I was only recently recruited. My new Captain can be oddly persuasive… our other crewmate is Roronoa Zoro."

"The Pirate _Hunter_ is on your _pirate _crew? So that's why you were after his swords."

"Yeah," Ricky replied as he slowly stood up and headed for the door. "But I guess we can't work together. That's a pity because you could've been a part of something great."

"What are you talking about?" asked Nami curiously.

"You've heard of the One Piece, haven't you?" Ricky inquired as he stopped walking and stood there staring at the door in front of him.

"Everyone's heard of that. All of you stupid pirates are after it."

"It's the Ultimate Treasure and as a Treasure Hunter it's my dream to find it."

"What, so _you're_ gonna be King of the Pirates?"

"No. My Captain's gonna be King of the Pirates. _I'm_ gonna find the treasure."

"You sound confident, but what makes you think you can find it?" asked Nami. "Pirates with the same dream as you have been looking for it for decades."

"That's because my Captain just set out about a week ago," Ricky told her, sounding as serious as he ever did. "He's going to be King of the Pirates and I'll help him every step of the way. If you reconsider joining out pirate crew you'll have a chance to see and do things you could only dream of. We're going to change the world and it'll be the adventure of a lifetime. Don't think of it as teaming up with pirates, just thing about all the money you could make, think of all the places you could see, the weird people you'd meet."

Ricky turned around and watched Nami as she sat at the table and stared at him, she was obviously thinking it over. "I'll reconsider on one condition," Nami eventually decided.

"Keep talking."

"Its just one tiny, little thing… Go with me to see Buggy."

"You stole the chart from him and now you want to visit him? He'll kill you on the spot."

"I wanna steal Buggy's treasure. Think of this as a test. It'll determine how things will go in the future. If we can manage it, I'll think about joining your pirate crew."

"What did you have in mind?" Ricky asked, looking vaguely interested.

**-x-**

A few minutes later, Nami and Ricky were walking down the road. Nami had a rope wrapped around her arm.

"At the end of this road is the Drinker's Pub," Nami pointed out, "That's where Captain Buggy is staying.

"Alight, let's start this plan of yours," said Ricky. "Hopefully Buggy's as stupid as you think he is."

"It'll work," Nami assured him as she took her rope and tied his hands behind his back, then wrapped the rope around his body keeping his arms pinned to his back.

"Not the legs," Ricky interrupted as he swung his legs away from her.

"Why not? It needs to look convincing."

"Then you'll have to drag me the whole way. It'll be unpleasant for both of us. Besides, it's a fallback plan."

"Fine," Nami conceded as she took the remaining rope and pulled Ricky down the road after her.

**-x-**

Meanwhile on top of the Drinker's Pub…

"WHAAAAT?" Captain Buggy roared in outrage. "YOU LET THE THIEF GET AWAY AGAIN! HOW COULD YOU LET HER ESCAPE!"

"We're sorry Captain," the three pirates that Ricky had beaten up earlier apologized. "But this Cyclops was really strong and really fast. He beat us before we could blink!"

"FOR THIS YOU DIE!" Buggy shouted, he prepared to execute his three henchmen for a crime even more severe than insulting his nose: Losing or stealing one of his important possessions.

But luckily for the trio, another pirate ran in and drew Buggy's attention with a loud announcement "**Captain Buggy!"** the small dark-skinned pirate with a pointed hat called out as he ran over, "It's the thief! She just walked through the door!"

"Good, bring her in here," Buggy instructed, "… wait hold on! What's she planning?"

"I don't know," the pirate admitted as Nami walked in pulling Ricky behind her.

"That's him!" one of the pirates that Ricky had beaten exclaimed, "The Cyclops who fell from the sky! He's the thief's boss!"

"Captain Buggy," said Nami as she held the tied Ricky next to her, "I've already caught the thief, and here's your chart?"

"Nami… what's going on?" asked Ricky, his eye narrowed.

"Hmm… you're returning the chart?" questioned Buggy, "What's this all about?"

"I had a fight with my boss," Nami answered, "He's an idiot, so I decided to try and join up with you."

"Bwahahahaha! An idiot, huh?" Buggy laughed, "I like you. I think I'll accept you and let you join as part of my crew."

"_Mission accomplished,"_ Nami thought to herself, _"Now I just need to steal back the chart, steal Buggy's treasure, and get out of here."_

"You traitor," Ricky growled at her. "How could you sell me out for this sorry excuse for a pirate and even sorrier excuse for clown?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Buggy demanded.

"You heard me," Ricky stated, not intimidated in the slightest. "You're a sorry excuse for a pirate. Why else would you be in the East Blue? It's supposed to be the weakest of the world's oceans. And if your pirate captain skills are anything to go by, you must be a terrible clown too."

"_Why is he antagonizing him?" _Nami thought to herself, _"He'll get killed if he keeps this up."_

"HOW DARE YOU!" Buggy shrieked. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO!"

"I'm talking to a clown who probably can't even juggle," Ricky retorted.

"I _CAN SO_ JUGGLE!" Buggy insisted.

"Then prove it," Ricky challenged him. "So far you have yet to impress me."

"Why would I need to impress _you_?" Buggy growled. "I'm a notorious pirate captain! I have a bounty of fifteen million berries on my head! You're just a one-eyed nobody thief."

"Yeah," Ricky agreed, "I'm just a one-eyed nobody thief that would've gotten away with stealing your chart of the Grand Line if _someone_ hadn't sold me out to the sorry excuse for a circus you call a pirate crew."

"I'm going to kill you," Buggy threatened in a deadly voice. "When I'm done, they won't even be able to find pieces to identify you with. However…" Buggy reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a bunch of knives. "As a last request from a doomed man I'll prove that I _can_ juggle. You'll realize who you're dealing with before I kill you."

"_Did he just get Buggy to do what he wanted him to?"_ Nami wondered, _"How is he so good at handling pirates?"_

Buggy held the three knives out in front of him and tossed one up in the air, then threw the next one up after it before tossing the remaining knife to his other hand, allowing him to catch the first knife he had thrown. In seconds Buggy was expertly juggling the three knives, catching them by the handle, and throwing them up in the air.

"GO CAPTAIN BUGGY!" the Buggy Pirates all cheered, clearly impressed by their captain's juggling.

"You call that juggling?" Ricky taunted, not as impressed as the Buggy Pirates, "_I_ could do that. And I've only got one eye. Anyone with basic hand-eye coordination could."

"OH YEAH!" Buggy shouted, "MEN… MORE KNIVES!"

A pirate threw another knife at Buggy, the clown pirate caught it and was suddenly juggling four knives. Another pirate threw a knife and Buggy was then juggling five knives. This kept going until Buggy was suddenly juggling TEN knifes in a large circle over his head.

"YAY! CAPTAIN BUGGY!" Buggy's crew all cheered, even more impressed by their captain's skill with the sharp knives.

Nami stared in surprise as Buggy juggled the razor sharp knives. She cast a glance at the still tied-up pirate standing next to her. He noticed her looking and while Buggy and his crew were still distracted by Buggy's juggling feat, he flashed her the sly grin that she remembered from the marine base.

Nami stared at him in surprise, this _pirate_ had manipulated Buggy the Clown, the feared pirate of the East Blue, an infamous pirate worth 15,000,000 berries, to juggle for his own amusement. _"Did I pick the right guy to betray?"_ Nami thought to herself.

Ricky turned back to Buggy, "I guess this proves you aren't completely incompetent," Ricky reasoned, "but I'm still not impressed."

**SHA-SHUNK-SHUNK-SHUNK! **A split second later the ten knives Buggy had been juggling were imbedded in the ground around Ricky. And while Nami had jumped back in surprise, the one-eyed pirate hadn't moved an inch.

**CLANG! **An instant later Ricky was locked in a big iron cage, with his arms still tied.

"WHO'SE INCOMPETENT _NOW_!" Buggy taunted as he stood in front of Ricky's cage and mocked him. "BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"_Just keep laughing," _Ricky silently thought to Buggy, _"when Luffy and Zoro finally get here, you're going down, Clown."_

**-x-**

Out by the docks a little boat pulled up. "We've finally arrived," Moe announced.

Luffy glanced around the empty town. "Where is everybody?"

"What an empty town," Zoro observed, "I don't see anyone around here."

"Well the truth is, the town was invaded by Captain Buggy," Moe explained. "That's why no one is here."

"So what are we going to tell the Captain when we return empty handed?" Larry asked Moe.

"We have no choice but to tell him the truth," Moe answered, "besides, it's all that girl's fault."

"Where's this Buggy?" asked Luffy.

**-x-**

Everyone has gathered in Orange Town, Nami's with Buggy, Ricky's trapped in a cage, and Luffy and Zoro are looking for Buggy. They're all on a collision course. Next chapter be ready for an incident at the Drinker's Pub.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	6. Chapter 5

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Incident at the Drinker's Pub**

**-x-**

On the roof of the Drinker's Pub, Buggy and his pirates were all celebrating. The booze was flowing and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. "The chart of the Grand Line is mine again!" Buggy cheered, "And we have one more crewmate! Everybody give it up, let's have fun and prepare ourselves for our next conquest!"

Buggy's strange circus themed pirates took drinks and continued celebrating. "NAMI! YOU'RE REALLY KNOCKING 'EM BACK!" Buggy shouted to the as she downed another mug of grog.

"Time for a drinking contest new girl!" a pirate announced as he started drinking a mug of grog. Nami accepted and downed mug after mug of grog until the pirate passed out.

"I WIN!" Nami exclaimed as she held an empty mug up over her head.

"_No one can out-drink me,"_ Nami said to herself, _"if I can get all of them drunk this will make my job much easier pirates are really easy to trick."_

**-x-**

Meanwhile, Ricky had used his mouth and teeth to untie himself, now he was just stuck in the cage. "I can't believe I left my lock picks back on the boat." Ricky muttered. "Now I'm stuck in here until Luffy and Zoro get here. I might as well get something to drink." Ricky took the length of rope and tied one end in a circle then leaned against the bars and twirled the rope around in the air before throwing it and lassoing himself a mug of grog which he slowly pulled over to the cage and managed to get it inside.

Ricky downed the mug of grog, vaguely aware of Nami approaching.

"How ya doin' boss?" Nami teased him as she knelt down in front of the cage.

"Would you mind getting me something to eat?" Ricky requested. "I'd use the rope, but things would get messy."

To Ricky's mild surprise Nami left and actually came back with some food.

"Don't you realize what's going on here?" Nami asked while Ricky ate his meal and drank the grog. "I _betrayed_ you, and now I've joined Buggy the Clown's pirate crew."

"No you haven't," said Ricky. "You hate pirates. You'll probably steal his treasure the second his back is turned."

"Why are you so nonchalant about this?" Nami demanded. "He's going to _kill_ you."

"No he won't," Ricky replied. "When my captain gets here I'll be fine. I just need to stall until then." Ricky took another sip from his grog, "Heads up, your _captain's _coming."

Nami turned around and saw Buggy walking over to the cage. "BWAHAHAHA!" Buggy laughed. "Enjoy your last moments alive you one-eyed thief. Do you finally realize who you're dealing with? I'm Buggy the Clown, feared pirate with the powers of the Devil Fruit! You had the audacity to steal my sea chart, so now you're going to pay with your life. I'm going to…"

"You're going to let me go?" Ricky supplied.

"Yes, I'm going to—" Buggy started to agreed, but then he realized what he was agreeing to. "OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO! LOAD THE SPECIAL BUGGY BALLS! YOU'RE A DEAD MAN CYCLOPS!"

"Buggy Ball Cannon ready Captain," a pirate reported as he held up a special cannon ball with Buggy the Clown's insignia on it and then rolled it into the nozzle of a large cannon.

"Very well," said Buggy, "now for a flashy demonstration! FIRE!"

**KA-BOOOM-OOM-OOM! **The pirates turned the cannon towards a house and shot it off. The red cannon ball was launched forward and pelted into the house, BLASTED THROUGH IT, and then continued to go crashing through an entire line of houses down in the village. When the ball finally stopped and exploded, the six houses that the cannon ball had blown through collapsed to the ground and were reduced to mere piles of rubble.

**-x-**

"What the heck was that?" Luffy wondered when he suddenly saw a cannonball launched and take down an entire row of houses.

"Wow, that packed a punch," Zoro remarked as he stared at the remains of the houses the cannon ball had blown up. "It came from that tavern over there."

"Then let's go," Luffy resolved. "Maybe Ricky's there."

**-x-**

"A truly flashy performance," Buggy commented as Nami stared in shock at the damage the Buggy Ball had done.

"So you plan to kill me by shooting me with a cannon?" Ricky inquired. "Are you really that much of an idiot?"

"An idiot?" Buggy repeated indignantly, "You fool! With these Buggy Balls and the special powers I got from eating the Devil Fruit, I'll rule the Grand Line! You're nothing but an insignifigant fly compared to me!"

"You _are_ that much of an idiot," Ricky realized, "because only an idiot would shoot a fly with a cannon."

"_YOU'RE_ THE IDIOT!" Buggy countered, "_YOU'RE_ THE ONE TRAPPED IN THE CAGE! AND _YOU'RE _THE ONE THAT'S GONNA DIE! LOAD ANOTHER BUGGY BALL!" Another one of Buggy's signature cannon balls was loaded into the cannon. "POSITION THE CANNON!" The cannon was moved and aimed at Ricky's cage. "BWHAHAHAHA!"

Buggy was about to give the order to fire but then he noticed Nami standing nearby not doing anything. That gave him a wonderfully evil idea. He'd get that last laugh for sure. "Now it's your turn girlie," Buggy decided. "Prove your loyalty by blowing your former boss into smithereens with this Buggy Ball. Show me you're ruthless enough to take over the world. KILL YOUR FORMER BOSS!"

"You want me to, k-kill him?" Nami repeated in surprise, just because Buggy was an evil nasty pirate that killed people for seemingly trivial matters, it didn't mean _she _killed people. She wasn't going to _kill_ someone just to keep up an act, even if he _was_ just some lousy pirate. "That's okay Captain Buggy, I don't need to do that… let's go drink some more and forget about that loser."

"DO IT!" Buggy ordered, causing his pirates to start chanting and cheering. They wanted to see something blown up.

"_Oh no, what should I do,"_ Nami thought to herself while the pirates continued cheering, _"If I don't kill __**him**__, then they'll kill __**me**__. He's just a no good pirate… but if I murdered him in cold blood that would make me just as bad as a pirate."_

"NAMI!" Buggy shouted, "Stop stalling and light the cannon!"

"Your hands are shaking," Ricky observed from the cage, startling Nami. "That's what you get for going up against pirates unprepared."

"Unprepared?" questioned Nami as she glared at the boy in the cage. "You mean being ready to kill someone like it's nothing? Is that what 'prepared' means to a pirate?"

"No," Ricky answered. "That kind of pirate gives pirates like me a bad name. It means being ready to put your life on the line. I did it to save you, now it's your turn. You're not gonna blow me up." Ricky simply crossed his legs and took another casual sip from his mug of grog. He wasn't even the least bit intimidated.

"_Who the heck is this guy?"_ Nami thought to herself as she stared at the pirate in the cage. She didn't even notice the pirate coming up behind her.

"What are you waiting for? Don't you know how to do it?" asked one of Buggy's pirates as he lit a match. "It's easy, you just put the flame to the fuse…" The pirate demonstrated and quickly lit the fuse, but he didn't notice Nami reaching under her skirt for the three segments of her bow-staff before it was too late. **WOMP!** Nami swung her bow staff around and smashed the pirate in the head, knocking him out cold.

"TRAITOR!" Captain Buggy screamed, "AND AFTER I WELCOMED YOU INTO MY CREW!"

"_Darn I couldn't help myself,"_ Nami said to herself, then she noticed the sly grin on Ricky's face. "Don't get any bright ideas!" she exclaimed. "I did it because of my own feelings. No matter what I won't become a cruel pirate. YOU PIRATES TOOK SOMEONE DEAR TO ME! AND I'LL NEVER BECOME WHAT I HATE!"

"So that's why you hate pirates," Ricky realized, "Pity, not all pirates are like that. By the way, the fuse is still lit… would you mind?"

"You've made a fool out of me!" Captain Buggy roared, "And for this you die!"

"The fuse," said Nami as she reached out and grabbed the burning fuse on the cannon and smothered it with her hand. **FSSSSSS… **"Aaaaahhhhh!" Nami yelled out in pain as the fuse burned her hands while she put it out.

"KILL HER!" Buggy commanded, his men charged at the thief by the cannon.

"Heads up," Ricky warned her, Nami whirled around in time to see the angry punch of pirates charging at her. **BA-BAM!**

The pirates went crashing to the ground before they even reached Nami, Luffy and Zoro were left standing over them.

"Luffy, Zoro, it's about time you guys got here," Ricky commented. "What took you? Did you get lost?"

"What're you doing in that cage?" asked Luffy as he stared at the cage Ricky was trapped in curiously. "And did you catch our lunch?"

"Will you forget about the turkey for two minutes!" Zoro scolded him.

"Did he just call that guy Z-Zoro?" a pirate stammered, "What's Zoro the Pirate Hunter doing talking to that thief? And who's that other guy with the hat?"

"_The crewmates he was talking about,"_ Nami said to herself_, "That was Zoro the Pirate Hunter, and the other one's the Captain. He knew they were coming… he was just stalling for time…"_

"So you're Roronoa Zoro, huh?" asked Captain Buggy, "You must have come here to capture me."

"Actually I gave up Pirate Hunting," Zoro admitted, "I have no interest in you."

"Well I have an interest in you," Buggy announced, "Killing you would be a great honor."

"Try it, and you'll end up dead," Zoro threatened him.

"WOW A CLOWN!" Luffy exclaimed, having just noticed Buggy the Clown. "Can you do a trick!" Buggy stared at Luffy in shock, too surprised to think of anything to say.

"Sorry Luffy," Ricky apologized, "I already got him to juggle. I doubt he'll do it again. You shouldn't have gotten lost."

"YOU'RE AN ENTIRE CREW OF MORONS!" Buggy yelled, finally getting over his shock.

"Then what does that make _your_ crew?" Ricky retorted.

"I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!" Buggy screamed.

"No, you won't," said Luffy as he faced Buggy and glared at him, "_NO ONE_ HURTS MY NAKAMA!"

"Luffy, I'll handle this clown," Zoro volunteered, "he picked a fight with _me_."

"Don't go easy on him," Luffy told him as he walked over to Ricky's cage and sat on top of it so he could have a good seat.

"Get 'im Captain Buggy!" the Buggy Pirates cheered their captain on, "Cut him to pieces!"

"Get ready Pirate Hunter," said Buggy, "Because I'm about to get a look at your blood."

"You asked for it," Zoro replied as he drew his swords and got in a fighting stance.

"DIE FLASHILY!" Buggy charged at Zoro, **SLISH!** Zoro's attack connected and Buggy fell to the ground in pieces.

"That was too easy," Luffy commented from on top of the cage.

"He really _is_ incompetent," Ricky realized.

"No way," said Nami to herself as she heard Buggy's pirates laughing.

**-x-**

**Flight**

**-x-**

"That was disappointing," Zoro commented as he stared down at the severed pieces of Buggy the Clown's body.

"Zoro, don't let your guard down," Ricky advised as he surveyed the scene. Buggy's pirates were _laughing_ and the many pieces that remained of Buggy were still on the ground.

"Luffy, get me out of here," Ricky instructed as he glanced up as his Captain who was still sitting on top of the cage.

"Oh, I was wondering why you were in there," said Luffy, causing Zoro, Nami, Ricky, and some of Buggy's crew to sweat-drop.

"_What's with these pirates?"_ Nami thought to herself as watched Buggy's crew. _"Their Captain gets killed and they just laugh about it."_

Zoro had turned away from Buggy and stood next to Luffy in front of Ricky's cage, "We can't open this cage without a key," Zoro observed, "And these bars are too thick for me to cut through."

"HA HAH HEH HEH HEE!" the circus-themed pirates laughed louder than ever.

"I don't get it, what's so funny?" Luffy wondered as he scratched the back of his head, making himself look even more like a monkey.

"Very funny, now hand over the key to the cage before I get cranky," Zoro ordered as he glared at the laughing pirates.

"_There's more to this than they're letting on," _Ricky said to himself as he looked away from the pirates and glanced at Buggy's body again.

"Those guys are kind of creepy," Luffy remarked.

But suddenly Ricky called out, "Zoro, heads—" **SHUNK! **"—never mind…" A look of intense pain appeared on Zoro's face. He looked down and saw that he had been stabbed from behind with a dagger. The dagger was going in through the lower left side of his back and the tip was coming out his front causing Zoro's blood to flow freely.

But what was most shocking was that Captain Buggy's hand had stabbed him. But his hand wasn't attached to his body… it was still cut off… but was floating, like it had a life of its own.

"ZORO!" Luffy shouted in surprise as he stared down at the bleeding swordsman. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"What's that?" questioned Nami, "A hand?"

"That must be Buggy's power," Ricky reasoned.

"Damn it," Zoro cursed to himself, "What the hell was that? A flying hand?"

"**It's the Chop Chop Fruit,"** came the voice of Buggy as his head floated up off of the ground and attached itself back onto his body. "That's the name of the Devil Fruit that I ate. You can cut me to pieces, but my body will still go back together. I can detach any part of my body. I'm a Chop Chop Man!"

"A Chop Chop Man? That's silly," remarked Luffy, the Gum Gum Man.

"But, I thought the Devil Fruit were just a myth," said Nami.

"They're not, I've come across a lot of them," Ricky informed her. "Luffy, we've got to get out of here."

"Roronoa Zoro, I just missed you vitals," Buggy called out, "but I still gave you a critical wound, Pirate Hunter. I believe that makes me the winner of this fight."

"_Ung… I came to save Ricky, and now it looks like I'm the one who needs saving,"_ Zoro thought to himself, _"when I heard that this clown had eaten Devil Fruit I should have been more prepared."_

"You've got him trapped! Finish him Captain Buggy!" the Buggy Pirates cheered.

"_Now the tables have turned,"_ Nami said to herself, _"If I don't do something we'll all be killed."_

Meanwhile Luffy was pissed, Buggy was a horrible person and he fought dirty, "STABBING SOMEONE IN THE BACK!" Luffy yelled, "THAT'S FIGHTING DIRTY, YOU GOT THAT BIG NOSE!"

"You idiot!" Nami snapped, "That's the one thing you never…"

"YOU DARE TO CALL ME BIG NOSE?" Buggy's hand detached while holding a knife and flew at Luffy, but he reached out and caught the hand easily. **WHAP!**

"I swear…" said Luffy as he threw the dagger to the side, and glared at the clown pirate. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS! I ALREADY WARNED YOU, _NO ONE _HURTS MY NAKAMA!"

"Bwahahaha! You? Kick _my_ ass?" Buggy laughed, "And just how to you expect to do that? You're all about to die!"

"Luffy, not now," Ricky interrupted. "Flip the cannon."

"Got it," agreed Luffy agreed as he ran to the cannon and grabbed the barrel, he hoisted it up onto his back then shot up, causing the barrel to go straight up into the air, before falling down, now pointing in the opposite direction. **THOOM!**

"The cannon's pointed at US!" shouted one of Buggy's pirates.

"And it's loaded with one of my Buggy Balls!" Buggy shrieked.

"Nami, now," Ricky ordered from the cage. Nami quickly lit the fuse, this time she had no problem doing it.

"NO! LOOK OUT!" Buggy screamed, as the fuse burnt down and fired the cannon. **KA-KA-TOOOM! **The Buggy Ball exploded forward and impacted with the ground, creating a big cloud of smoke and dust.

"Time to go," Ricky suggested.

"Hey, who are you?" asked Luffy, seemingly just noticing Nami.

"I'm a thief," Nami answered.

"Actually Luffy," Ricky chimed in. "I've found you a Navigator,"

"I never agreed to that!" Nami snapped. "And shouldn't you be trying to get out of the cage?"

"If you say so," Ricky agreed, clearly not meaning it, "Luffy, get me, and this cage out of here, we'll worry about unlocking it later."

"**YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE YOU FLASHY BASTARDS!**" came a loud shriek from Buggy, who had apparently survived the blast.

"Don't worry, I've got it," Luffy assured him as he grabbed two of the bars of the cage, then turned around and in an amazing feat of strength hoisted the entire thing up onto his back. His Nakama was in danger, the thought of getting Ricky and Zoro safely out of the situation gave him the strength of over ten men.

"Zoro, are you gonna be alright?" asked Ricky from on Luffy's back.

"I'll live," the swordsman assured him as he stood next to Luffy and held his hand over his knife wound.

"How can you do this?" asked Nami in amazement as she stared at the big iron cage on Luffy's back.

"Luffy, get us out of here before they recover," Ricky instructed.

"I don't get it," said Nami to herself, "No pirate would risk his life for another one."

"When you're Nakama, you do this kind of crazy thing for each other," Ricky explained with a casual shrug. "See ya!" With that Luffy and Zoro ran off carrying the caged Ricky with them.

Nami noticed that the dust and smoke was clearing and figured she'd better leave, but she had one more thing to do before she left…

**-x-**

"Where'd they go?" Buggy demanded once the smoke cleared.

"They're gone Captain," a timid pirate answered, "Zoro, Nami, the Cyclops, that Straw Hat guy, even the cage!"

"That's impossible!" Buggy snapped, "That cage is made out of iron! It took five men to carry it."

"AHH! IT'S GONE!" a pirate suddenly shrieked.

"What's gone?" Buggy demanded, this was just getting worse and worse!

"The key to the cage," the pirate answered, "Someone stole it!"

**-x-**

On a roof top in the middle of town Luffy slammed down the cage while Zoro sat next to him on a roof.

"How're we gonna get you out of that cage?" Luffy wondered.

"I left my lock picks back on the ship," Ricky told him. "We'll have to figure something out."

"We're in a… fine mess…" Zoro panted as he held his hand over his wound, "But now we've gotta finish what we started."

"Alright here's the plan," Ricky told them from in the cage while eying the swordsman's bloody wound, "First, we need to get in fighting condition, I need to get out of the cage, and Zoro needs to heal a bit. Once we're ready, we'll go back and take out Buggy and his crew. Then we can get the chart and Buggy's treasure which will convince Nami to become our Navigator."

"That girl was a Navigator?" asked Luffy, sounding excited.

"The best one around… or so she says," Ricky replied. "Just be careful around her, she hates pirates."

"And you're trying to get her to join our _pirate_ crew?" questioned Zoro.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm trying to do Mr. Pirate _Hunter_. If we managed to get you to join, I think we can get her."

Ricky paused and listened carefully, "They've already started looking for us."

"**Are they in the Pub?"** called the far off voice of a pirate.

"**No!"**

"**What about the main road?"**

"**Not there either."**

**-x-**

"NO MORE CLOWNING AROUND!" Buggy yelled, "THOSE FOUR ARE TRYING TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME! WHO AM I!"

"Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown!"

"Damn straight," Buggy growled, "Clearly we're not dealing with common thieves! This means war!"

**-x-**

Luffy, Zoro, Ricky, and even Nami escaped from Buggy and his pirates for now. But next chapter Buggy the Clown sends his First Mate after them and they come across a strange dog.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	7. Chapter 6

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Dog**

**-x-**

"LISTEN UP CREW!" Buggy shouted to his men. Luffy, Ricky, Zoro, and Nami had escaped and he was still pissed off, "WE'VE FLASHILY STOLEN TONS OF TREASURE AND OUR NAME BRINGS FLASHY TERROR TO ALL WHO HEAR IT! SO ARE WE GOING TO LET FOUR LOSERS MAKE FOOLS OUT OF US?"

"No sir!" Buggy's men chanted.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Buggy roared.

"NO SIR!" Buggys men shouted.

"ALRIGHT, PIPE DOWN!" Buggy snapped. This wasn't funny to Buggy and he decided that he wanted to end this quickly. He was going to start off with the big guns, "It's time to show our enemies how terrifying we can be! Bring out the Wild Animal Show!"

"**Captain Buggy… you called?**" came a voice.

"IT'S BEAST TAMER MOHJI!" the Buggy Pirates exclaimed.

A man wearing blue pants and a fuzzy white costume with ears on his head that made him look like a bear came forward. But what was intimidating about him was the giant lion that he was riding on. The lion was about half the size of a building and had a big purple mane. This was 'Beast Tamer' Mohji, Buggy the Clown's First Mate, and Richie his enormous pet lion.

"I will bring you Roronoa Zoro's head," Mohji vowed.

"Bring me any parts you want," Buggy replied with a sadistic smile on his painted face.

**-x-**

"We should be far enough away by now," Zoro announced as he and Luffy walked down the street through the deserted town. Zoro was attempting to recover from the knife wound he'd gotten from Buggy and Luffy was walking along beside him dragging the cage that Ricky was trapped in. "I don't think Buggy and his pirates will be able to catch up to us any time soon."

"We got away for now," Ricky reasoned as he calmly sat inside the cage, "But we need to get me out of this thing."

**THUD!** Zoro suddenly collapsed to the ground, "It's no use…" Zoro panted as he lay bleeding in the middle of the street, "I've lost too much blood… I've got to rest…"

"Not the best place to take a break, but whatever," said Ricky laid on his back and stared up at the clouds.

Luffy pulled himself up and sat on top of the cage, but due to his short attention span, his eyes wandered and he noticed something. "Hey, a dog!" Luffy exclaimed.

Zoro moved so he was sitting back against a street light, while Luffy hopped off of the cage and crouched down in front of a small white dog that was sitting on the curb in front of a pet food store.

"Is it real?" wondered Luffy as he poked it, **POKE!** "It's not moving."

"It's his business if he moves or not," Zoro answered as he sat back against a pole, "our business is to get you out of there."

"Leave the dog alone," Ricky advised while still staring up at the sky. "It looks like its acting as a guard for that store."

"You're not even looking at it," Luffy replied as he continued poking the dog, **POKE!** "Maybe it's dead." **POKE!**

"GRRAAAHH!" **CHOMP! **It turned out that the dog was very much alive, and it didn't like to be poked. The dog lunged at Luffy and bit his face in retaliation.

"DUMB DOG! LEMME GO!" Luffy hollered as he tried to shake the dog off of him, but the tiny mutt had a firm hold.

"Told you," Ricky muttered without even sitting up.

"LUFFY, STOP PLAYING AROUND!" Zoro shouted.

**THUD! **"Dumb dog," Luffy muttered as he fell on his back once the dog let go of him.

**THUD! **"Lost… too much blood," Zoro mumbled as he slid off of the pole and laid on his back.

"**Look at you three,"** Nami commented as she came across the interesting sight. Here were three pirates that were on the run from Buggy the Clown, but instead of running and hiding like anyone normal would have, all three of them were lying on their back in the middle of the street. "Not to criticize... but is the middle of the street really the best hiding place you could come up with?"

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Ricky pointed out from inside the cage. He sat up and leaned back against the bars of the cage so he could see Nami.

"Oh, hey it's our new Navigator," said Luffy when he saw who Ricky was talking to.

"I never agreed to that!" Nami snapped. Nami took a breath and calmed down, "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for saving me."

**KLING! **Nami tossed a key on the ground. "THE KEY!" Luffy exclaimed, "YOU STOLE THE KEY TO THE CAGE!"

"Which one of you is stuck in that cage again?" asked Zoro as he eyed Ricky who was still as calm and relaxed as ever.

"Yeah I stole the key," Nami replied with a sigh, "But since you saved me earlier, this makes us even. I don't owe you pirates anything now."

"THIS IS GREAT!" Luffy cheered, "I THOUGHT WE'D NEVER GET HIM OUT OF THERE!"

"I guess the rescue was a success after all," Zoro commented as he slowly sat up. But then, to the surprise of everyone watching, the dog took the key and ate it. **GULP!**

"STUPID CRAZY DOG!" Luffy shouted, he grabbed the tiny dog and started shaking it, hoping it would cough up the key, "COUGH IT UP! THAT'S NOT FOOD! GIMME THAT KEY!"

"Great," Ricky muttered as he rolled his eye. Now he'd have to find another way to get out of the cage… he had one, but he didn't want to use it.

"**Hey you kids!**" came the shout from an old man, "Leave Chou-Chou alone!"

"Chou-Chou?" Luffy repeated, as the dog once again mauled his face.

"Who are you old timer?" asked Zoro as he looked up at the old man. The man was had funny grey hair that made him look like a Poodle and was wearing old-looking armor with a spear strapped to the back.

"Who am I?" asked the old man, who was called Boodle. "I'm the Mayor of this town! That's who!"

**-x-**

Mayor Boodle, Luffy and Nami had gone off and taken Zoro somewhere, but seeing how Ricky was stuck in the cage they left him where he was. When they came back Luffy reclaimed his spot on top of the cage and stared down at the dog that had eaten the key to the cage.

"Where'd you take Zoro?" asked Ricky, sounding only mildly concerned while he attempted to pick the lock on the cage with the tip of his red sword.

"He's resting at my house," answered the Mayor, "That boy had lost a lot of blood. I told him there was a doctor at the refugee shelter, but he said he just needed some sleep."

"So the dog's name is Chou-Chou?" questioned Nami. "Why is he the only one left in town?"

"He's guarding the shop. I just came to feed him."

"Oh, so he's a guard dog," Nami reasoned. "For a pet food store…"

"A good friend of mine owned this store. He and Chou-Chou opened it years ago. They've got a lot of memories here, and so do I."

"See those wounds?" asked the Mayor as he pointed to some scars on Chou-Chou. "He's been fighting the pirates, protecting his store."

"This store might be important," said Nami, "But Chou-Chou shouldn't be risking his life for it. Isn't the owner at the refugee shelter with everyone else?"

"No he's not," the Mayor answered solemnly, "He got sick and passed on. He went to the hospital three months ago."

"Poor thing," Nami commented, "You mean he's been sitting here waiting for his master the whole time?"

"That's what everybody says," said the Mayor, "But that's not what I think. Chou-Chou is a smart dog, I think he knows his master is dead."

"Then why does he still guard the store?" asked Nami.

"It's his treasure," Ricky said simply as he continued to unsuccessfully pick the lock.

"Exactly," the mayor agreed. "This is his master's store. I think that Chou-Chou still guards the store because it's all he has left of his beloved master. I've been trying to get him to the shelter, but he won't budge from this spot. He'd rather starve to death than leave his post."

"CAN'T YOU SEE THAT'S NOT WORKING!" Nami yelled at Ricky, who through the entire story was still trying to pick the lock.

Ricky cut his arm and put his sword away, "If you were trapped in this cage you'd try anything too. I don't have my lock picks on me, so I'm trapped in here. We're lucky that no one's come after us yet."

**RAWWWWRRR! **A loud roar rang out causing all of them to jump with the exception of Ricky. "I guess I spoke too soon," Ricky commented.

"What the hell was that?" asked Nami in a panic.

"It must be 'Beast Tamer' Mohji!" the Mayor answered. He and Nami quickly ran off down the road.

"Beast Tamer?" Ricky repeated, as Luffy, who had been silently staring at the dog all this time got off of the cage and stood next to it. Ricky and Luffy found themselves face-to-face with a giant lion. "Oh…"

"Well what have we here?" questioned Mohji, "I'm Mohji, Buggy's First Mate. They call me the Beast Tamer. Ha ha, looks like your friends abandoned you… after all that effort to get you this far. Captain Buggy's really upset, you two are in big trouble now."

"GRRRRRR!" the giant loin growled.

"_That's a big lion,"_ Ricky throught to himself, _"Maybe it's strong enough to rip through an iron cage. We'll have to provoke him."_ Ricky turned to Luffy, "Hm… he looks rather eccentric."

Luffy and Ricky stared at each other the former struggling not to laugh while the latter shook his head at Mohji's strange appearance. "What's with the weird costume?" Luffy finally asked.

"COSTUME! THIS IS MY HAIR!" Mohji yelled at him.

"That just makes it weirder," Ricky said to Luffy in a 'stage whisper' which was loud enough for Mohji to hear.

**-x-**

"Are they purposely provoking him?" Nami wondered as she and Mayor Boodle his around the corner.

"Those idiots," the Mayor muttered.

**-x-**

"I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU LITTLE WISE-ASS!" Mohji roared. "I bet you think you're safe in that cage. Well clearly he doesn't know who I am. There's not an animal alive that I can't control. I can even control that mutt."

Mohji jumped down off of his lion and walked up to Chou-Chou, "Shake," Mohji instructed as he reached out his hand, **CHOMP! **Chou-Chou didn't want to shake and instead lunged forward and bit Mohji's arm.

"AAAAHH!" Mohji hollered in pain and indignation as he tried to shake the dog off of him.

"HAHAHAHA!" Luffy laughed loudly as Mohji struggled to get the angry dog off of him. Ricky smiled and seemed mildly amused. Mohji eventually go the dog off of him and then climbed back up onto the top of his huge lion where it was safe.

"STOP LAUGHING!" Mohji scolded the rubber pirate. He was used to being TERRIFYING! Not FUNNY!

"Hahaha! That dog got you," Luffy laughed.

"You're just an accomplice of a one-eyed nobody thief!" Mohji said to Luffy.

"Ricky… you're a thief?" questioned Luffy. "What'd you steal this time?"

"I didn't take anything," Ricky insisted. "But for the record, weird-Lion-guy, my accomplice here is actually my Captain."

Mohji stared at Luffy who was having a staring contest with the lion and sweat-dropped. "You're joking… right?"

"I don't joke," Ricky stated.

"You two mean nothing to me, so I'll give you one chance, tell me, where is Roronoa Zoro?"

"NO!" Luffy refused. Zoro was still resting from his wounds, he wasn't about to sell out his Nakama. Especially not to some weird guy on a lion.

"THEN DIE!" Mohji hollered, "GET HIM RICHIE!"

"RAAWWWR!" The lion roared and lunged forward but Luffy moved out of the way. Ricky was stuck in the cage and became the focus of the lion's attack. **CHOMP! KER-RAK! **The lion reached down and ripped apart the cage with its massive jaws and claws.

"Hmph," Ricky grunted as he leapt out of the cage and onto the giant lion's snout.

**-x-**

"IT BIT THROUGH A STEEL CAGE!" Nami exclaimed from around the corner.

"Those boys are goners," said the Mayor.

**-x-**

"RAAAAWWWWRRRR!" Richie the lion roared as he struggled to get the one-eyed pirate off of his snout.

"WOW! RICKY! THAT'S SOOO COOL!" Luffy cheered as he watched his brother on the lion with stars in his eyes.

**KER-FWHAM! **The giant lion blindly swatted the cage, sending it crashing into Luffy, causing him to go flying. The cage was hit so hard it smashed Luffy THROUGH a house, which crumbled down to the ground after Luffy and the cage went through it. **KRASH!**

"Nobody could have survived that," said Mohji, "Now there's just one left." Mohji glared at the pirate on his lion's snout.

"_Now we just need to stall long enough for Zoro to recover,"_ Ricky thought to himself, as he held onto the lion's nose. _"Once he's ready, we'll go after Buggy and recruit Nami."_

"RICHIE KILL HIM!" Mohji ordered.

**FWIP!** The lion snapped its head up, launching Ricky off of it and up into the air, then it raised his mighty paw and swatted Ricky in midair, **FWHAM! KRASH! **Ricky was sent flying and smashed through the wall on the third floor of a nearby house.

"There," Mohji resolved as he climbed back onto the lion. "Now let's go find Zoro."

But the lion suddenly stopped when it noticed the pet food store nearby. "What is it?" asked Mohji, who looked up and saw the store, "Alright have a snack. But be quick about it."

"GRRRRRR!" Chou-Chou didn't like this one bit.

**-x-**

"Wow! What an impact!" Luffy exclaimed as he slowly got up to his feet and stared at the wrecked house he had been smashed through. "He knocked me through that house and into the street behind it! But at least Ricky's out of that cage, now we can show these clowns and make that thief our Navigator."

**-x-**

**Treasure**

**-x-**

"HEY!" came a loud shout, "Hey kid! You're alive! How could you survive that?" It was the Mayor and Nami.

"No big deal," Luffy answered as if it were nothing to get smashed through a house.

"But how!" Nami demanded as she pointed to the house which was now a pile of rubble. Luffy had survived the crashing through the building, but the _building_ hadn't survived _Luffy_. "Your body demolishes a building, and you walk away from it without a scratch! That's crazy!"

"Crazy is good," Luffy replied. "Where's Ricky?"

"You mean the kid with one eye? He was sent flying by the lion too," the Mayor answered. "Why did all of you come to this town anyway? Why take on pirates?"

"Ricky originally figured it out. We're after the chart to the Grand Line and a Navigator!"

**-x-**

Meanwhile back at the pet store, Chou-Chou standing in front of the lion and barking like crazy. **RUFF! RUFF! RUFF!**

"What's with this dog?" Mohji wondered. "Does he think he can prevent us from entering this store? You little mutt… don't tell me you're guarding this crummy shop!"

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!" Chou-Chou barked angrily.

**SWAT! **The lion raised its paw and swatted Chou-Chou away, knocking him into a wall and opening up a cut on the little dog's face. But Chou-Chou got back up then rushed at the lion and bit down on one of its legs. But the lion took its paw and smashed it into a wall, crushing the little dog against the stone in the wall. **THUMP!**

"Stupid lion," Ricky muttered as he walked out through the front door of the house he had been knocked into. He glanced above him and noticed the hole in the wall of the third floor that he had been knocked through. He had to go down two flights of stairs to get out of there.

But then Ricky noticed the bloody dog fighting back up to continue fighting the lion. Apparently, it didn't care if the lion was over twenty times his size, this store was his treasure and as long as he was still breathing, he'd fight for it.

Chou-Chou started barking at the lion again. **RUFF! RUFF!** "Alright, shut up that mutt once and for all!" Mohji ordered the lion.

The lion prowled forward but Chou-Chou leapt at it and bit its leg again. This time the lion shot its leg up, sending Chou-Chou flying up into the air, then the lion swatted the dog as he came falling downward, driving him even faster into the street. **WHAM!** "NOW FINISH HIM!" Mohji roared.

The giant lion opened its jaws wide and bent down to eat the little dog. But suddenly Chou-Chou was pushed out of the way and the lion's jaws closed around something else. The lion lifted its head in confusion, "You missed the dog!" Mohji scolded his lion. "What's going on here?"

"_Stupid lion should watch what it tries to eat,"_ a very wet Ricky said to himself while in the lion's mouth. He quickly drew his sword.

**ROOAWWWWRRR! **The lion let out a loud roar of pain, and spat out Ricky, **PTOOOIII! KRASH!** The wet and bloody pirate went flying and crashed through a nearby window.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Mohji shouted. "LET'S TAKE CARE OF THE STORE!"

**-x-**

"I've got to go find Zoro," said Luffy. "That freak on the lion is looking for him."

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" the Mayor yelled, "THAT LION WILL RIP YOU APART!"

**-x-**

"That stupid dog bit me," Mohji muttered as he looked over the bite mark on his arm. He and the lion were now going off to find Zoro. Richie had a box of dog food in his moiuth that they'd retrieved from the store once the dog was taken care of. "I'm bleeding! That dog stupid dog actually thought it could fight me."

**-x-**

"**WOOF! WOOF! ARROOOOO!"** Luffy walked back over to the pet store, only to find that it was on fire. Chou-Chou, was covered in gashes from his fight with the lion was barking loudly at the flames as it watched the store burn before its eyes. Sitting next to the dog was Ricky, who was covered in blood and drool. He was staring intently at the flames too. "AROOOOOO!"

Luffy walked up and Ricky spoke to him without even looking to see who it was. "This store was the dog's treasure. It risked its life to defend it and fought with everything it had." Ricky slowly stood up. "Luffy, he's mine."

"Good luck," said Luffy.

Ricky crouched down next to the dog and patted its head. The dog tore its gaze from the burning store and fixed it on the one-eyed pirate next to him. "You fought well. Now it's my turn."

"WOOF RUFF!"

"Thanks," Rickyreplied as he stood back up. Chou-Chou turned back to the burning pet food store and resumed barking at it while Ricky walked off to find the lion. Luffy watched his First Mate walk off and almost felt sorry for the lion-tamer. Almost.

**-x-**

Mohji rode his lion down the middle of street when a figure came out from in between two houses and stood in the middle of the street, as if he was blocking Mohji's path. It was the one-eyed pirate from before, he was covered in drool and blood, but he looked pissed.

"YOU!" Mohji exclaimed. "I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU!"

"It'll take more than a lion to kill me," Ricky informed him as he stared the lion dead in the eye. The boy was only 6 feet tall, Richie the lion was over five times his size. But when the lion saw the look of anger burning in the expressionless pirate's eye it grew slightly nervous, after all this one-eyed human was the reason his tongue was in so much pain. "I'm here to avenge the one you've wronged."

"HAHAHA!" Mohji laughed. "You think just because you got lucky that you can beat me?"

"Let me make sure you understand this," said Ricky. "You can attack me, and you can laugh at me and my dreams. I'll just ignore it. But you crossed the line… you burned down the store that dog was protecting with its life. One thing I'll _never _forgive is someone who destroys someone else's treasure."

"Hahaha!" Mohji laughed. "You came here to avenge that stupid mutt! You're a fool! I'm Buggy the Clown's First Mate, a brat like you could never beat me! GET HIM RICHIE!" Mohji jumped off of the side of the lion's head to get out of the way.

Richie dropped the box of pet food and then let out a loud roar as he lunged forward looking to pounce on Ricky and tear him apart. "RAWWWWRRRRR!" **SKISH! **But Ricky jumped up into the air and over the lion's head causing the lion to miss him, and let out a quieter roar of surprise. "Rawr?"

"Bludgeon… STOMP!" **WHOMP!** Ricky came down and drove his feet into the top of the lion's head. **THUD!** The force of the steel-soled boots being driven into the top of its head cause the giant lion to plant head-first into the ground. Richie the lion was knocked out cold with one attack.

"Now it's just you and me," Ricky stated as he stood on theunconscious lion's head and turned his attention to Mohji.

"Im-impossible!" Mohji stuttered in shock and disbelief.

"What? Can't fight someone without a giant lion?" Ricky taunted as he reached to the side and drew _Akaikyuuketsuki_. Ricky held the red blade in front of him with both hands as he turned to face Mohji.

"I'm sorry!" a terrified Mohji quickly apologized. He quickly started backing away from the one-eyed pirate.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Red Blade… LIGHTNING STRIKE!" Ricky lunged off of the lion's head and flew at Mohji faster than the lion-tamer with all of his quick reflexes could even react. **SLISH!** Ricky landed on his feet behind Mohji and glanced at the blood on his sword as it was slowly absorbed into the red blade. Mohji stood still for a moment in complete shock, **PLURT!** Blood exploded out from the wound Ricky had made on his chest and he fell to the ground. **FWUMP!**

Ricky put his sword away then turned and walked over to Mohji and placed his foot on Mohji's throat. As Ricky started applying pressure the lion-tamer started coughing and wheezing. **KOFF! KOFF! ACK!**

"You're lucky I have morals," Ricky told Mohji as he glared down at him. "Right now, nothing would please me more than to kill you. But I won't."

"Th-thank—ACK!" **KOFF! KOFF!**! Ricky cut the lion-tamer off by pressing his foot harder into the man's throat.

"If I killed you, you wouldn't be able to apologize for what you've done."

Ricky removed his foot from Mohji's throat, prompting the lion-tamer to start wheezing and panting to catch his breath. Ricky reached down and grabbed one of the ears that Mohji had made his hair. "You're coming with me." Ricky dragged Mohji over to the box of dog food and picked it up, then dragged the defeated Beast Tamer back towards the pet store, leaving the giant lion lying unconscious in the middle of the street.

**-x-**

"Pirates," said Nami as she and Mayor Boodle walked up to the remains of the pet shop. The fire had been extinguished and Luffy and Chou-Chou were sitting in front of it staring at what was left. "They're all the same. They take away what's most precious and laugh!"

"Huh?" questioned Luffy, who hadn't been listening to what Nami had been saying.

"Where's that friend of yours?" asked Nami as she glared at Luffy.

"Ricky? He's fighting the lion," Luffy answered.

"YOU LEFT YOUR FRIEND IN THAT CAGE TO DIE?" Nami snapped. "I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!" Nami made to rush at Luffy, but the mayor held her back.

"Calm down," Boodle instructed her.

"You can't kill me," Luffy informed Nami.

"OH YEAH! WELL I'LL GIVE IT A DAMN GOOD TRY!" Luffy ignored her and continued to sit next to the dog and stare at the remains of the store.

"Calm down… both of you!" the mayor scolded them, although, Luffy seemed to be perfectly calm, it was Nami who was causing the problem here.

"**Come on… it… it was just a stupid pet store!"** came an unwelcome voice. Luffy, Nami, Boodle, and Chou-Chou all turned to see Ricky walking over dragging Mohji along with him by one of the bear ears in his hair. He had a box of dog food in his other hand.

"Grrrr…" Chou-Chou growled as the one-eyed pirate dragged over the man responsible for the current condition of his store.

**THUD!** Ricky threw Mohji down to the ground in front of Chou-Chou. "Apologize."

"Y-you can't be serious! It's just a stupid dog!"

**WHAM!** Ricky lifted his leg and drove the steel bottom of his boot down into Mohji's spine. "Apologize!"

"I'm ssssorrrrry!" Mohji struggled to get the words out as he glared at the dog.

"Grrrr…" Chou-Chou growled.

**WHAM!** Ricky lifted his leg and drove his foot down into Mohji's spine a second time. "You can do better than that."

"I'm sorry I burned down your store…" Mohji apologized as he continued glaring at the dog. He was furious at what he had been reduced to.

**WHAM!** Ricky drove his boot down into Mohji's spine a third time, but this time he kept it here and applied more pressure. "Try again. I'm not opposed to crippling you."

"I'M SORRY!" the Beast Tamer screamed in pain. "I'M SORRY I BURNED DOWN YOUR STORE! I BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS!"

"Better," Ricky commented as he removed his foot from Mohji's back and glanced at Chou-Chou.

"Arf!" barked Chou-Chou, before it turned back to the remains of the store.

"Nothing can undo what you did," said Ricky. "I _suggest_ you get out of here, the next time I see you… I won't be so restrained."

"YES SIR!" Mohji shrieked as he shot to his feet and started to stagger off.

"Hey fuzz-brain," Ricky called out after him.

"Huh?" questioned Mohji as he turned around.

"Javelin… KICK!" **CRUNCH!** In less than a second Ricky shot out his foot and drove it hard into Mohji's jaw, **WHAM! **The lion-tamer went flying and slammed into the wall of a house,before dropping to the ground unconscious.** THUD!**

Ricky looked down and saw one of Mohji's teeth lying on the ground next to his foot, he turned and glanced at Chou-Chou who was wagging his tail, "That was for you," Ricky told Chou-Chou, "and this is too..." Ricky placed the box of dog food down in front of Chou-Chou. "It's the only bit that wasn't burned or eaten."

Luffy patted the dog on the back. "Good job Ricky."

Nami stared at the two pirates and the dog in shock, _"He fought the lion for the dog's sake,"_ Nami realized.

"You did well," Luffy told the dog. "I didn't get to see you fight, but Ricky says you did a great job."

Chou-Chou took the box of dog food in his mouth and started walking off, but it stopped walking and put the food down, then turned and barked at the pirates. "ARF! WOOF! RUFF!" barked Chou-Chou.

"You're welcome," Ricky replied. "Good luck to you too."

"Bye!" Luffy called out as the dog picked up the box of dog off and walked off.

**-x-**

"MOHJI WAS DEFEATED?" Buggy the Clown shouted in surprise when one of his scouts reported back to him at the Drinker's Pub.

"Um… yes Captain," answered the nervous scout that had reported what he had seen to the Captain.

"READY MY SPECIAL BUGGY BALLS!" Buggy ordered, "PLAY TIME IS OVER! WE'RE GONNA FLASHILY LIGHT UP THIS TOWN 'TILL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT!"

**-x-**

Mohji made the mistake of getting on Ricky's bad side, and he paid for it. Never destroy someone's treasure in front of 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. Next chapter Mayor Boodle is going to get a little reckless.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	8. Chapter 7

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Reckless**

**-x-**

"Ahoy, First Mate Mohji's back!" a pirate announced as Mohji staggered through the door of the Drinker's Pub dragging his unconscious lion behind him.

"I'm sorry Captain Buggy," Mohji apologized. Ricky's beating had really taken a toll on him, he had a huge gash going across his chest, two of his teeth were missing, and he was hurting all over.

"WHAT, YOU LOST?" Buggy shouted, "AND IT WASN'T TO ZORO! IT WAS THE OTHER TWO!"

"I-it was the Cyclops…" said Mohji. "I underestimated him… the pirates are stronger than they l… uggg… look… " **FWUMP! **Mohji promptly collapsed to the ground and passed out, unable to remain conscious a second longer.

"DAMNIT MOHJI! YOU WERE BEATEN BY A NO-NAME CYCLOPS! IF THIS GETS OUT OUR REPUTATION WILL BE RUINED! LOAD THE BUGGY BALLS! WE'VE GOT A TOWN TO FLASHILY DESTROY!"

"Yes sir, Captain Buggy," the pirates chanted as they ran off to load the cannon. Everyone was careful to avoid stepping on the unconscious beast tamer.

**-x-**

Meanwhile Chou-Chou had finally arrived at the refugee shelter and was met by one of the villagers, "We're glad you're okay," said one of the villagers, "We were worried about you."

"He's hurt bad," another villager observed when he spotted the wounds that Chou-Chou had suffered from fighting Mohji's lion Richie. "Damn pirates. Let's take care of these wounds."

"Where's the mayor?" asked an elder villager.

"That's right…" the first villager replied, "Mayor Boodle went to feed Chou-Chou. What's Chou-Chou doing here without him? You don't think something bad happened to the mayor?"

"I'm worried," said another villager, "maybe I should go and check on him."

"Are you crazy?" asked the elder villager, "the Mayor's too clever to let himself get captured. He knows this town better than anyone. But he also cares about this town more than anyone. I told him not to take any risks. I hope he heard me."

**-x-**

Meanwhile back in the village Ricky and Luffy were surprised to see Nami approaching them, "Sorry I yelled at you," Nami apologized.

"That's okay," said Luffy as he and Ricky slowly stood up,

"Don't mind Nami," Ricky advised Luffy. "She lost someone important to pirates and thinks we're the same way. In other words, we're lower than dirt."

"Oh, now I understand," Luffy commented.

"Well… maybe you guys aren't _that_ bad," Nami admitted as she stared at Ricky. He was an odd one, he fell out of the sky and saved her from a bunch of pirates, and then he agreed to help her in her crazy plan to steal Buggy's treasure. He seemed to know it was doomed to fail but went along with it anyway and ended up trapped in a cage and almost got blown up for his troubles. Then the first thing he did when he got out of the cage was fight a giant lion for a dog, and then made the jerk that controlled the lion apologize to the aforementioned dog. He was nothing like a pirate should be… he _helped_ people. "That was a good thing you did."

"Whatever," Ricky replied with an indifferent shrug as he put his hands in his pockets.

"I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!" the Mayor suddenly shouted. "I can't stand anymore of this cruel bullying! Not after the way Chou-Chou and you kids fought back so bravely! What kind of Mayor stands back and lets his town be destroyed!"

"Mayor, please calm down," said Nami as she tried to calm him while Luffy and Ricky stared at him curiously.

"SOMETIMES A MAN HAS TO STAND UP FOR HIMSELF!" the mayor yelled. "RIGHT BOYS!"

"Hm…" said Ricky as he looked on with mild interest.

"You said it old man," Luffy answered.

"WHY ARE YOU ENCOURAGING HIM!" Nami snapped at the two pirates.

Any response that Nami had hoped for was cut off by the Mayor, who was continuing on his rant, "Forty years of hard work! This place was wilderness when we got here. At first it was just a few homes, but slowly our numbers grew. We worked hard, cleared the land. And in time people came and opened up shops. And look at where we are now! We're a thriving port! We old timers built this town from nothing. It's our life's work."

Luffy was smiling and Ricky was still watching with only mild interest. Nami looked at the old man with worry, what was he going to do?

"THIS TOWN AND ITS PEOPLE ARE MY TREASURE! I'D BE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A MAYOR IF I DIDN'T TRY TO PROTECT THE TOWN! I'M GONNA FIGHT!"

The Mayor pulled his spear off from his back, but then… **KA-BOOOOM! KER-RASH!** A loud explosion went off and a Buggy Ball smashed through several buildings, reducing them to piles of rubble. The explosion was large enough to send, Luffy, Nami, Ricky, and Mayor Boodle flying.

"THAT'S _MY _HOUSE!" the Mayor yelled once he sat up and surveyed the damage.

"ZORO WAS SLEEPING IN THERE!" Luffy shouted.

"Did that injured kid die?" asked the Mayor as the four of them looked into the dust cloud hovering over the rubble from the Mayor's house.

"HEY ZORO, ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!" Luffy called out.

But slowly the smoke and dust settled and it turned out Zoro was alive. The swordsman slowly sat up and stared around at everyone, "That was one heck of an alarm clock," Zoro commented.

"HE'S ALIVE!" Luffy cheered.

"How could anyone live through that?" Nami wondered.

"THAT TEARS IT!" the fuming Mayor yelled, "I WON'T LOSE A SECOND TOWN TO THOSE SEA RATS! THESE PIRATES SHOW UP AND THINK THEY CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT… WELL I WON'T LET THEM DESTROY FORTY YEARS OF WORK! I'M THE MAYOR I WON'T TAKE THIS SITTING DOWN! IT'S TIME TO FIGHT!"

"Mayor, please wait," Nami pleaded as she tired to hold the old man back and prevent him from getting himself killed.

"Let me go!" the Mayor snapped as he struggled to free himself from Nami's grip.

"Getting yourself killed won't accomplish anything," Nami attempted to reason with him, "You're being reckless!"

"I KNOW I'M BEING RECKLESS!" the Mayor shouted with his eyes filled with tears. Nami was caught off guard, allowing the old man to pull himself free. With a loud shout he ran off for the Drinker's Pub. "Buggy the Clown! Prepare to face the Mayor!"

"The Mayor… he was crying…" Nami realized.

"It didn't look like that to me," said Luffy.

"Things are finally going to get fun," Zoro commented.

"Hahaha, yeah!" Luffy laughed.

"This is no laughing matter!" Nami snapped.

"Don't worry, I like that old man," Luffy reassured Nami.

"He's in over his head," Ricky bluntly stated.

"Yup," Luffy agreed.

"If we let him go alone, he'll get killed," Ricky guessed.

"Most likely," Zoro admitted.

"And if we do nothing, those pirates are gonna destroy this town," Ricky reasoned.

"Probably," Luffy replied.

"He said this town was his treasure." Ricky reminded them. "Are we gonna stand here and let those clowns destroy it?"

"HELL NO!" Luffy shouted, who had gotten worked up by his First Mate.

"Nope," said Zoro, who was a bit more restrained.

"Then its time to fight," Ricky resolved. "I'm out of the cage, and Zoro, you seem to have recovered a bit. We'll beat Buggy and the rest of his crew, get the chart and the treasure, and then Nami'll join our crew."

"I SAID I'D THINK ABOUT IT!" Nami snapped. "What are you getting out of this anyway?"

"I wasn't aware that we were getting anything," Ricky replied with an indifferent shrug, "Unless you want to reconsider joining."

"Join up with us," Luffy offered as he held out his hand to Nami.

"You want the chart and the treasure, right?" Ricky supplied.

Nami stared down at Luffy's hand, but then slapped it away. **WHAP!** "I won't become a pirate," said Nami, "But we'll work together and strive for a common goal."

"We'll take what we can get," Ricky commented.

**-x-**

"NOW FOR THE SECOND SHOT!" Buggy announced. He and his crew were still on top of the Pub and were continuing with Buggy's evil plan of destroyed the entire town and the Straw Hat Pirates along with it.

"The cannon is loaded Captain," a pirate reported.

"EXCELLENT, THEN READY FI—" Buggy was cut off by a shout coming from the street below them.

"**BUGGY THE CLOWN! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!**" came the loud voice of the Mayor.

"What's that?" questioned Buggy as he and his pirates looked down in shock, was this stupid old man really calling out Captain Buggy?

**-x-**

"Don't tell me you're going too!" Nami exclaimed as Zoro got to his feet and started following after Luffy, "What about your wound?"

"I'm healed," Zoro answered casually.

"What!" Nami snapped.

"My name's been tainted," Zoro explained as he tied on his black bandana, "That hurts more than any injury."

"This isn't our fight," Ricky admitted. "But I refuse to allow them to destroy that old man's treasure. Let's put that circus out of business."

"RIGHT!" Luffy and Zoro ran off.

"The Pub's that way…" Ricky called after them as he pointed in the opposite direction.

"RIGHT!" Luffy and Zoro turned around and ran in the direction Ricky was pointing.

"And what are you going to do?" asked Nami, "The one is a freakishly strong pirate that can get smashed through a building and live and the other is a feared swordsman. What can you do?"

"Me?" questioned Ricky with a raised eyebrow. "I already fought. If I did everything it wouldn't be fair. It's their turn. When it's over I'll see if Buggy has something worth taking. Part of the Pirate's Code states that when one pirate crew beats the other, you can take what you want from them without repercussion. When we win, we'll get his treasure. I'll split it with you if you join the crew."

"Pirates have a code?" Nami inquired. "I thought they were all just evil savages."

Ricky shook his head, "Some pirates have honor and they follow the Pirate's Code. The evil savages you mentioned are the one's that don't. As nasty as he seems, I think Buggy follows the Code too, so when Luffy beats him we'll be able to take his treasure. As First Mate, I handle the crew's finances, mainly because if I left it to Luffy and Zoro, everything would fall into disarray. If you join, I'd be happy to split it with you."

Nami stared at him for a few seconds, "We'll see what happens," was what she said, but what she thought was…_"I'll see what happens in this fight and then I'll just steal it from the winner."_

Ricky shrugged indifferently and put his hands in his pockets as they continued walking. "Hopefully we'll get there before the fight is over."

"Do you really think they can win?" asked Nami. Luffy and Zoro were so far ahead that Nami and Ricky couldn't even see them any more.

"Do you think I could beat Buggy's First Mate and a lion ten times my size?" Ricky questioned.

"…No," Nami admitted.

"I did," Ricky reminded her, "and they're both stronger than I am."

**-x-**

**Gong**

**-x-**

On the roof of the Drinker's Pub Buggy and his pirates were still shocked that the old Mayor wanted to fight the Great Captain Buggy. "_You_ want to fight _me_?" questioned Buggy as he glanced down at the old man.

"MY NAME IS BOODLE! I'M THE MAYOR OF THIS TOWN! COME DOWN AND FIGHT ME!"

Buggy looked on in amusement, so did his pirates. One in particular was glancing at the Mayor in interest. He had black hair, which was long and flowing on one side but was cut short and striped between black and blond on the other. He wore a long blue and white striped scarf that covered his mouth and went down to his feet, and equally long dark blue sleeveless coat, a pair of white pants, and a light blue sash around his waist. He was Cabaji the Acrobat, also known as Buggy the Clown's Second Mate.

"Har har har, did he say he wanted to fight the Captain?" a pirate laughed, "Does he really think that he can win?"

"**Captain Buggy,**" Cabaji called out as he opened his mouth and grabbed something inside, "Let me finish him."

"Wow it's Second Mate Cabaji's show time!" some of the Buggy Pirates exclaimed as Cabaji pulled a sword out of his mouth. Cabaji then flew into the air, while on a unicycle and spun around before landing next to Captain Buggy. **TMP!**

"It's been a while since I've fought," said Cabaji, "I don't want to get rusty."

"Yeah! Finish him Cabaji!" The Buggy Pirates cheered.

"No," said Captain Buggy, "The fool said he wanted to fight me. You stay out of this."

"Aww, we're not going to be seeing Cabaji's Acrobatic Show," the pirates complained.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Buggy demanded as he glared down at the Mayor, "For fame?"

"Don't be stupid!" the Mayor snapped, "I came here to protect my town. It's my treasure!"

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Buggy, "Treasure is flashy and makes its owner a King! THIS TOWN OF YOURS DOESN'T SPARKLE, IT ROTS!"

"SHUT UP!" the Mayor yelled, "I should have known you wouldn't understand my feelings for this town! Now get down here!"

"Go down there?" questioned Buggy as he suddenly detached one of his hands, "Why should I?" Buggy's hand floated down towards the old Mayor and closed around the old man's through, choking the life out of him.

"Y-you… monster," the Mayor wheezed as he struggled against Buggy's hand, "I-I'll never be afraid of you!" The Mayor started hitting Buggy's hand as hard as he could, but that only served to hurt his own throat.

"Are you trying to beat me by punching yourself in the throat?" questioned Buggy as he watched the Mayor struggle. "You dare to order ME down there! Who do you think you're talking to? ANSWER ME! WHAT'S MY NAME!"

"_I can't die here, not without getting revenge!"_ the Mayor thought to himself as he continued struggling.

"Soon I shall flashily rule the Grand Line!" Buggy exclaimed, "all of the flashy treasures of the world will be mine and mine alone! You told me this town is your treasure? Well you're lucky you won't be alive to see what I do to it!"

"CURSE YOU!" the Mayor screamed as Buggy's hand started lifting him up into the air, "GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!"

"Why should I?" questioned Buggy, "You are not even worth the effort!"

"I WON'T LET YOU WRECK THIS TOWN!" The Mayor hollered. "COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME!"

Suddenly Buggy felt his grip on the Mayor's throat slip, his hand had been pulled off, "Huh?" questioned Buggy in confusion, who would be so stupid to get involved in this? Buggy looked down to see who it was, "THE PIRATE HUNTER AND THE KID IN THE STRAW HAT!" Standing behind the mayor were Luffy and Zoro, the two of them looked ready to beat Buggy right now.

Luffy smirked up at Buggy as he held Buggy's hand away from the Mayor, who dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. "I'M BACK!" Luffy announced, "I TOLD YOU I WAS GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!"

Buggy summoned his hand back and reattached it to his wrist. "You guys must really enjoy pain," Buggy snarled. "You're pretty brave to confront me! BUT THIS TIME YOU WON'T ESCAPE!"

"Who's trying to escape?" Zoro taunted.

"What are you doing here!" the Mayor demanded as he struggled up to his feet, "This is none of your business. This is my fight. This is my town and I'm going to protect it! So don't interfere!"

"**You've got a point,"** Ricky commented as he and Nami walked over, Ricky still had his hands in his pockets.

"At least one of you sees reason!" the Mayor growled. "You kids get out of here, I'm the mayor here. I'm responsible for this town!"

"That's true," Ricky agreed as he walked up to the old man. "But on the other hand…" **POW! **Before the old man could blink, Ricky shot out his hand and drove his knuckles right into the bridge of his nose. **THUD! **Mayor Boodle crashed to the ground and was out like a light.

"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?" Nami demanded as she glared at Ricky, who put his hand back in his pocket and calmly stood over the unmoving mayor.

"He was in the way," said Luffy as if that explained everything.

"Good thinking," Zoro commented, "He'll be safer unconscious."

"YOU'RE TOO RECKLESS!" Nami scolded Ricky.

"Me? Reckless?" Ricky repeated. "Not likely. I'll show you reckless." Ricky walked over to Luffy and whispered something in his ear.

"Are you sure pirates are supposed to say that kind of stuff?" asked Luffy.

"All the great pirates taunt their enemies before battle," Ricky explained, he discretely crossed his fingers behind his back. "You want to be a great pirate, right?"

"Of course, watch, I'll do it!" Luffy vowed, "HEEEEYYY BIIIIIIG NOOOOSSSEEE! YOUR MOTHER IS A HAMSTER AND YOUR FATHER SMELLED OF ELDERBERRIES! GET DOWN HERE OR I'LL TAUNT YOU A SECOND TIME, YOU FAKE-NOSED COWARD!"

Everyone gasped at the fact that some no-name pirate had not only made fun of Buggy's nose, but also his parents _and_ called him a coward. The look on Buggy's face was a mixture of shock and outrage. He couldn't believe that someone _dared_ to insult him like that.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Buggy shrieked, "GIVE HIM A BUGGY BALL! FIRE!"

"You idiot!" Nami scolded.

"Get out of the way, you guys don't want to get hit!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Luffy, would you get this?" Ricky asked calmly without even taking his hands out of his pockets. He casually stepped away from the Captain. **KA-BOOOM!** The special cannon ball was fired and came rocketing towards them.

"That measly cannon ball isn't going to work on me!" Luffy exclaimed. "GUM… GUM… BALLOON!" **FWOOOSH! **Luffy expanded outward and got rounded like a giant rubber balloon, the cannon ball went crashing right into Luffy's giant belly.

"What the heck IS that guy!" Buggy yelled, "He took a direct hit from a Buggy Ball!" **BOING! **Luffy's stomach shot back out and launched the cannon ball at the pub, "AND NOW HE FIRED IT BACK AT US!"

"You could at least tell us what your planning next time," Zoro remarked, who was clearly relieved. **KA-BOOOM!** The cannon ball smashed into the pub and blew it up. A think cloud of dust covered everything and no one could see or hear Buggy or his crew.

"Nice shot," Ricky commented as he looked at the thick cloud of dust.

"That evens the odds a little," said Luffy.

"WHAT ARE YOU?" Nami demanded as she stared at the rubber pirate in shock.

"You made me worry for nothing," said Zoro as he shook his head.

**-x-**

The insults Luffy shouted came from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_, one of my favorite movies. But unfortunately I don't own it, so I figured I'd mention it. Next chapter, Zoro's gonna take on Cabaji. It's the Straw Hat Pirates versus Buggy's Crew.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	9. Chapter 8

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Versus Buggy's Crew:**

**-x-**

The cloud of dust that floated over the remains of the Drinker's Pub was finally settling, but Nami didn't care, she was too confused. "WHAT ARE YOU?" She demanded as she stared at Luffy in surprise. "What kind of a person can inflate himself like a balloon?"

"That was the Gum Gum Balloon," Luffy told her.

"I DIDN'T ASK WHAT IT WAS, I ASKED HOW YOU DID IT!" Nami snapped but suddenly there was a rumbling in a distance. The dust had faded, revealing the trashed remains of the Drinker's Pub. The Straw Hats and Nami spotted two of Buggy's pirates and the giant lion Ricky beat before came pushing up through the rubble.

"**You kids have got some nerve,"** came the voice of Buggy the Clown as he tossed two of his men to the side. He had been holding them in front of himself like a shield to prevent the cannon from doing any damage.

"Captain, this is the worst disgrace we have suffered since you formed our crew," said Cabaji, who was holding up the giant lion as a shield.

"_I can barely suppress my rage,"_ Buggy fumed as he glared at Luffy and Ricky, these kids were getting really annoying.

"**Where am I?"** came a voice from behind Buggy and Cabaji, Mohji slowly pulled himself out of the rubble, "What the hell happened?" The lion tamer was surprised by the state of the destroyed pub.

"Mohji you're still alive?" Cabaji inquired as he glanced back at the Beast Tamer.

"Cabaji!" Mohji cried when he saw what the Acrobat was doing to his lion, "What are you doing to Richie?"

"What the kitty?" questioned Cabaji as he tossed the lion aside, "I was using him as a shield. I didn't want to get my clothes dirty."

"Richie are you okay?" Mohji asked as he bent down to check on his lion. Mohji glared at Cabaji, but suddenly noticed who was standing in front of him. "HEY! IT'S THOSE PIRATES! LOOK OUT THEY'RE STRONGER THAN THEY LOOK!"

"So it would appear," Buggy growled as he glared angrily at his First Mate.

"Luffy ate a Devil Fruit when he was seven," Ricky explained to Nami. "Like the clown over there, it gave him powers and turned his body into rubber. We provoked them into doing something stupid and attacking, so we could capitalize on it. Now there are only three of them."

"Rubber?" Nami repeated as she glanced at Luffy.

"Yeah," Ricky answered as he grabbed the sides of Luffy's face and pulled, causing Luffy's face to stretch. "He ate the Gum Gum Fruit."

With his face still being stretched by Ricky, Luffy stuck his tongue out at Buggy seeing how he was already making a face, "BLEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!"

"The Devil Fruit…" Buggy said to himself as he gritted his teeth and attempted to ignore the rubber pirate making faces at him, "That explains how he was able to bounce the cannonball back. But Mohji, if you knew that…" Buggy's hands suddenly grabbed Mohji and tossed him towards the Straw Hat Crew, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!"

"I DIDN'T!" Mohji shrieked as he flew through the air then landed in front of Ricky's feet.

Ricky slowly looked down at Mohji, "Hi," Ricky greeted the Beast Tame in his usual calm, relaxed tone. He slowly began advancing on the man he'd already defeated. Mohji was already backing down and was attempting to escape the scary cyclops.

"AEEEEIIIYYYEE!" Mohji screamed like a little girl then got up and ran, "HE'S GONNA KILL ME!"** THWAM!** Mohji wasn't looking where he was going and ran face-first into a wall and knocking himself out cold.

"Hmph, I'm done now," Ricky announced as he put his hands in his pockets.

"THAT DOES IT!" Buggy hollered. "CABAJI, KILL THEM! I WON'T ALLOW THEM TO INSULT US AND LIVE!"

Cabaji nodded then hopped on his unicycle and started wheeling towards Ricky with his sword drawn, "Cabaji the Acrobat, Buggy's Second Mate," Cabaji introduced himself, "I'LL GET REVENGE FOR YOU CAPTAIN!"

Ricky didn't even bother reaching for his sword, **KLANG!** The sound of metal-on-metal contact rang out, Zoro was standing in front of Ricky blocking Cabaji's sword with one of his own.

"If it's a sword fight you want," said Zoro, "Then I'm your man."

"Roronoa Zoro, as one great swordsman to another, it will be an honor to cut you down," Cabaji stated.

"Zoro, are you sure you've got this?" Ricky inquired.

"I need to repair my reputation after what happened before," said Zoro.

"Alright," Ricky agreed. "He's all yours. Just don't lose to someone as weak as him, or you'll never become the World's Greatest Swordsman." Ricky turned and walked off then stood in between Luffy and Nami so he could watch the fight.

"_He couldn't have healed from the wounds the captain gave him,"_ Cabaji thought to himself as he watched Zoro, _"I'm surprised he can even stand."_

"Acrobatics! OLD MAN'S FLAME!" Cabaji shouted, a large burst of fire suddenly came out of Cabaji's mouth and flew at Zoro. **FWOOOSH!** Zoro got his swords up and tried to avoid the burning flames that Cabaji was spitting at him. But while Zoro was attempting to block the fire, Cabaji swung his leg around and kicked Zoro hard in the side, **FWAK!**

"ARRRRGGGHH!" Zoro screamed in pain as he hit the ground, Cabaji had kicked him right where Buggy had stabbed him.

"I didn't think that I hit you that hard," Cabaji commented mockingly, "why are you crying?"

"That was a dirty trick!" Nami exclaimed, "He was aiming for his wound!"

"The Acrobat knows that he can't beat Zoro in a fair fight," Ricky calmly explained. "He's going to try and take any advantage he can get."

Cabaji glared at Ricky, then turned his attention back to his opponent and called out another attack, "Acrobatics! MURDER CASE IN THE STREAM BATH!" Cabaji twirled his sword around dragged it along the ground, causing it to create a thick cloud of dust. **SKISSSHHH!**

"Acrobatics my ass!" Zoro snapped. "You're just kicking up dust."

Cabaji's sword came out from the dust aiming at Zoro's head, but the Pirate Hunter got two of his swords up and blocked the blow, **CLANG!** But with Zoro's arms both occupied Cabaji capitalized and swung his foot around and drove it into Zoro's wounded side, **KER-WAK!** Cabaji's kick reopened the swordsman's wound, causing blood to start flowing out of it again.

"AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Zoro screamed on the ground in pain while Luffy, Ricky, and Nami looked on.

"He did it again!" Nami exclaimed, she couldn't stand the dirty tactics being displayed by these pirates.

"What's wrong?" Cabaji taunted, "Real men don't cry like little girls you know. Your friend's odd talents caused us quite a bit of trouble. This'll teach you not to mess with Buggy's Crew!"

"And real men don't resort to cheap tricks to beat their opponents," said Ricky loud enough for Cabaji to hear him.

"WHY YOU!" Cabaji growled at Ricky. "I'LL KILL YOU ONCE I FINISH ZORO!"

Zoro was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, "Zoro's hurt bad," Nami cried out, she quickly turned to Luffy and Ricky, "How can you just stand there and watch your friend get killed?"

"He'll be fine," Ricky told her. "Part of the Pirate's Code states that you don't interfere in someone else's fight, it makes the finish meaningless. I'm not going to tarnish my Nakama's pride by interfering in his fight."

"That's stupid," Nami stated. "You'd just stand there and let your friend get killed?"

"If I were to interfere and help him win this fight, then I'd be damaging Zoro's reputation," Ricky explained. "Zoro cares enough about his reputation to fight this guy despite his injuries. He'd never forgive me if he became known as a swordsman who relied on others to fight his battles for him. Besides, he doesn't need my help. He's gonna hit his second wind soon and he'll get back up and win this thing."

"Roronoa Zoro!" Cabaji called out as he wheeled forward with sword held out at his side, "Prepare to die!"

But suddenly Zoro got back up, **KLANK!** Zoro smashed one of his swords into Cabaji's, knocking the strange acrobat off balance, causing him to fall on his face. **THUD!**

Nami glanced at Ricky in surprise, but he was still standing there with his hands in his pockets looking as calm as he always was, "_Now _the acrobat is in trouble."

"What a loser," Zoro taunted, "Did you have fun kicking my wound?"

**SLISH! **To the shock of everyone watching, Zoro took his sword and slashed _his own_ wound, opening it up even more, causing more blood to flow out of it and drip down his leg and onto the ground at his feet. **PLURT!**

"What?" Cabaji exclaimed in confusion, "He cut himself!"

"My goal is to become the World's Greatest Swordsman," said Zoro.

"What are you talking about?" Cabaji demanded.

"IS THAT ENOUGH OF A HANDICAP FOR YOU!" Zoro shouted as he glanced down at the huge blood dripping wound at his side, "NOW I'LL GIVE YOU A LESSON ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOU AND ME!"

"Wow, that's so cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Hm," said Ricky, who actually seemed impressed.

"Roronoa Zoro, you want to make a fool out of me?" questioned Cabaji. Now he was getting mad.

**-x-**

**High Level Versus Low Level**

**-x-**

Zoro and Cabaji stood across from each other. Zoro's self-inflicted wound was still bleeding severely.

"Just watching this I feel faint," Nami complained as she looked at the puddle of Zoro's blood dripping on the ground.

"I've seen worse," Ricky stated.

"GET 'IM ZORO!" Luffy cheered, he wanted to see his Nakama kick that dirty, cheating acrobat's ass.

"I can't lose even once to anyone who calls himself a swordsman," Zoro announced as he glared at Cabaji.

"I see," Cabaji commented, "So you cut yourself to save your reputation. It will serve as an excellent excuse when you lose."

"It's actually the other way around," Zoro corrected him, "If I lose to someone like you when my wounds are only this light... I might as well give up my dream right now!"

"Why you!" Cabaji snapped, Zoro had just insulted him and was calling him weak. On top of Ricky's almost constant barrage of throw away insults, he was getting really worked up.

"Hey," Nami suddenly said to Ricky and Luffy, "That shed behind the ruins of the pub. That's where they keep their treasure." Ricky and Luffy glanced at the shed that Nami was pointing to. "Buggy's got the chart to the Grand Line in there too. So I'm going to go steal it and make my escape."

"Wait… " said Ricky, _"Something's not right about this."_

"No, I've got to do it now while the pirates are unconscious," Nami replied, "I don't really care if you guys win or lose this fight, I just want the treasure. So good luck boys, and I'll see you later."

"Thanks, good luck," Luffy called after her, he was still intent on watching Zoro and Cabaji's fight. Ricky on the other hand was torn between two things, one: the fight, and two: what might be in the shed besides the treasure.

"Zoro, stop playing around and finish him," Ricky instructed as he watched Nami run off and dart around a corner and in between two houses.

"Playing?" Cabaji repeated, "He's about to die!" The Acrobat turned back to Zoro, "Roronoa Zoro, prepare to face the greatest of my circus tricks! Acrobatics! THEATRE OF ONE HUNDRED KAMIKAZE TOPS!" Cabaji threw a bunch of metal tops at Zoro, they were spinning really fast and would probably hurt a lot if they hit him. **WAK! WAK!** Zoro started cutting the tops in half to keep himself from getting hit, but while Zoro was distracted Cabaji rode on his unicycle and started to ride up a wall, "Acrobatics! CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN!"

**WAK! WAK! **Zoro finally managed to knock the last of the tops out of the way, then looked up in surprise as Cabaji launched off of the building and flew through the air. "Acrobatics! COOL EVENING FIREWORK LAUNCH!"

"Wow he's way up there!" Luffy exclaimed as everyone looked up at Cabaji, beside him, Ricky didn't look impressed at all.

Cabaji was up in mid air the positioned his sword parallel with the wheel of his unicycle. "STING OF THE UNICYCLE!" Cabaji started to plummet and was going straight down, looking to drive his sword through the top of Zoro's head.

"GROUND RUNNER… CHOP CHOP CANNON!" Buggy suddenly yelled, he released his hand and sent it along the ground towards Zoro, looking to grab him and keep him from dodging his Second Mate's attack, "CABAJI, I'LL HOLD HIM DOWN! FINISH HIM OFF FLASHILY!"

"With pleasure," Cabaji agreed as he continued to plummet.

"Damn," Zoro cursed as Buggy's hand came flying towards him.

**STOMP!** Luffy stepped forward and drove his foot down onto Buggy's hand causing Buggy to scream out in frustration, pain, and surprise as his hand was pinned to the ground.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF ZORO'S DUEL!" Luffy yelled as he glared at Buggy.

Beside Luffy, Ricky was glaring at Buggy as well. The clown captain had almost violated the Pirate's Code by interfering in the duel between the two swordsman, that made him wonder if Buggy would be willing to part with his treasure if/when they won the battle between their two crews. Ricky frowned and decided to help Nami with the treasure once the fight was over, he wasn't about to let a large amount of treasure and the chart of the Grand Line ride on Buggy's pirate honor, because from the look of things, he didn't have much.

"Why you…" Buggy snapped, how dare that brat stomp on his hand!

"I don't need the Captain to finish you," Cabaji called out as he fell further down.

But suddenly, since Buggy's hand wasn't holding him down, Zoro dove out of the way and dodged Cabaji's attack, **WHOMP!** Cabaji missed and smashed down to the ground and came up empty.

"That's enough," said Zoro, as he sat on the ground in front of Cabaji, "I'm tired."

"Hahaha! Tired?" Cabaji laughed, "Well you sure have lost a lot of blood. So you've finally given up. Well, it's amazing you can still stand in your condition."

"YOU'VE GOT IT WRONG!" Zoro shouted, "WHAT I'M TIRED OF… ARE YOUR STUPID ACROBATICS!"

"Then I'll finish you now, with real swordsmanship!" Cabaji decided as he wheeled at Zoro with his sword poised for an attack.

Zoro stood up in front of Cabaji and didn't seem intimidated, as Cabaji got close Zoro lunged forward and lashed out with all three of his swords "DEMON SLICE!" **SLA-SLISH! **Zoro used all three of his swords to cut Cabaji across the chest, the Acrobat went passed Zoro, but then stopped as blood dripped shot out of the wounds Zoro had inflicted on his chest, **PLURT!**

"Cabaji!" Buggy cried out in alarm, this was bad he didn't have any men left..

"How could we lose to these common thieves?" Cabaji wondered as he fell to the ground and passed out.** FWUMP! **After taking a lot of damage from Cabaji's bizarre attacks and cheap shots, Zoro managed to come back and won the duel.

"We're not thieves," Zoro corrected him, "We're pirates!" **FWUMP! **With that Zoro fell to the ground alongside Cabaji, "Luffy, I'm going to sleep now."

"Go ahead and get some rest," Luffy told the swordsman, "I'll take it from here."

"I'll get out of the way," Ricky offered, "if you're gonna fight the clown, then this will be a Devil Fruit Power show down. I think it'll be hazardous to my health if I get caught in the middle of this fight.

"Alright, see you later Ricky," Luffy called out as Ricky walked off in the direction Nami had gone in.

And thus Straw Hat Luffy was left on his own to face off against Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown.

"You guys, you call yourselves pirates?" questioned Buggy.

"That's right!" Luffy replied, "now hand over that map to the Grand Line!"

"So that's what you're after," Buggy commented, he couldn't believe these kids thought they could make it in the Grand Line, "But the Grand Line isn't a playground for unknown pirates like you! What are you planning on doing there? Go sight-seeing!"

"That's not it," said Luffy, "I'm gonna become King of the Pirates!"

"STOP JOKING YOU CRAZY KID!" Buggy yelled, "IF YOU BECOME THE PIRATE KING THEN WHAT AM I? PIRATE GOD? ALL THE FLASHY TREASURES OF THE WORLD WILL BE MINE! SO QUIT DREAMING!"

"Alright then hurry up and attack me," Luffy taunted, "I'm getting bored."

"You'll regret your words rubber boy!" Buggy snapped, "you and that straw hat remind me of _him_ when he was younger. That crazy red hair!"

"Red hair?" questioned Luffy.

Zoro was sleeping and Luffy and Buggy were about to fight in a battle for the ages. Meanwhile Ricky was walking off looking to find Nami before she reached the treasure shed in an attempt to make sure things didn't go badly over there.

**-x-**

Next chapter its a Devil Fruit Power Showdown. Luffy and his Gum Gum Fruit Devil Fruit Powers will face off with Buggy and his powers of the Chop Chop Fruit. Over the course of the fight you'll learn a little bit more about Buggy the Clown Pirate.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	10. Chapter 9

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**The Pirate Buggy the Clown**

**-x-**

"That flashy redheaded bastard," Buggy growled. Luffy was alone facing off against Buggy the Clown. Zoro was sleeping while Mohji, Cabaji, and Mayor Boodle were all out cold. Ricky had run off after Nami, who was planning on stealing Buggy's treasure. And Buggy had just revealed to Luffy that Luffy reminded him of a red haired pirate he knew when he was younger.

"Red hair, are you talking about Shanks?" questioned Luffy.

"Huh? What's it to you if I knew him?" Buggy inquired.

"Do you know where he is?" asked Luffy.

"Well maybe I know where he is," Buggy replied, "but then again, maybe I don't."

"What did you forget? Are you some kind of idiot?" questioned Luffy, he didn't like it when people didn't give him straight answers.

"_You're_ the idiot!" Buggy snapped, "I'm not going to tell you something, just because you want to know! I'm not that nice of a guy!"

"Well then, I'll beat it out of you," Luffy resolved.

"Bwahaha," Buggy laughed. "You're gonna be dead before you even get a chance to ask me." Buggy then pulled out some knives and held them up in between his fingers, "You may be made of rubber, but I doubt you can withstand a sharp blade!"

"You're right, I can't," Luffy admitted.

"CHOP… CHOP… BUZZSAW!" Buggy shouted. His legs detached and started spinning around causing the knives attached to the toe of Buggy's shoes to whirl around like a buzzsaw.

But as the wheel got closer Luffy jumped up in the air and dodged it. "Let's see you dodge these," Buggy said as he drew some more knives, "IN MID AIR!" Buggy threw another half a dozen knives at Luffy, who was in mid air with no where to go.

"No problem," Luffy replied as he quickly reached out his arm and stretched it so it reached at wall, then Luffy pulled himself over and out of the way, causing all of Buggy's knives to miss him.

"So that's how you want to play is it?" questioned Buggy, "Well this getting really interesting."

"Sure is," Luffy agreed, "GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" Luffy's arm shot out as fast as a pistol looking to punch Buggy, but Buggy quickly moved out of the way.

"You have interesting abilities," Buggy commented as Luffy's arm shot passed him and grabbed a tree, "But even if you can stretch you arm, it becomes your weakness!" Buggy took out a knife and grabbed Luffy's arm, ready to cut it off. "I'll cut you to pieces!"

"GUM… GUM…" Luffy started to yell as he launched forward with his arm out.

"CHOP… CHOP… QUICK ESCAPE!" Buggy shouted.

"…SICKLE!" Luffy finished as he held his arm out looking to hit Buggy with a clothesline, but Buggy's head suddenly flew off of his body, causing Luffy to whiz passed him. **CRASH! **

"Bwahahaha!" Buggy's head laughed and attached itself back to its body as Luffy kept moving and ended up crashing into the rubble from the destroyed tavern. "You underestimated me Rubber Boy!"

"How am I supposed to kick your ass if you keep coming apart?" Luffy wondered as he walked out of the rubble.

**-x-**

"Did you see that?" one of Buggy's pirates asked another.

"Shut up you idiot!" the other snapped. "Just keep pretending to be knocked out. Otherwise we'll be killed."

**-x-**

"What kind of battle is this?" Nami wondered as she watched Luffy fight Buggy from a safe distance away. "Am I seeing things?"

"**There you are,**" came Ricky's voice as he made his way over to Nami.

"What do you want?" questioned Nami.

"I wanted to warn you, don't go into that shed," Ricky advised.

"Why?" Nami asked, "I need to steal Buggy's treasure."

"Buggy almost interfered in Zoro's fight," Ricky informed her. "After seeing that, I feel that Buggy deserves to have his treasure stolen. The thing that Buggy cares about most in the world is his treasure. He may be stupid, but do you really think he'd leave it in a shed unprotected?"

"Pirates are stupid and Buggy the Clown is no different," nami replied. "He may have a guard in there, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Are you sure?" asked Ricky with a sly grin.

"Yeah I'm sure!" Nami insisted.

"Are you confident enough to bet on it?" Ricky challenged her. "You lost last time."

"What did you have in mind?" Nami inquired with a slight smirk, this could work to her advantage.

"I bet the treasure is guarded by one of the toughest pirates that Buggy has. If I'm right, and we manage to get the chart from Buggy, you have to join our crew."

Nami glared at Ricky, she didn't want to be a pirate, but was confident that Buggy the Clown was as stupid as she thought he was. Even if Nami was wrong, she was pretty sure that if she couldn't beat one of Buggy's elite pirates, then hopefully he'd be able to take out Ricky. She wouldn't have to follow through with the bet if Ricky got killed. What was one less pirate anyway? "And if I can beat him and you're wrong?" asked Nami.

"We'll leave you alone," Ricky answered.

"Uh-uh," said Nami as she shook her head. "If there's no guard… or if there is a guard and I can beat him, I get ALL of the treasure. No matter how much there is. I won't join your crew, but I get control of you and your crew. The three of you will do everything I say, no matter how ridiculous it is." Nami grinned as she pictured herself in a bathing suit, sailing on the big ship she had bought with all of her treasure. She was lying on her stomach and Ricky was giving her a back massage while Luffy and Zoro were standing at her sides fanning her with palm leaves.

Ricky gave Nami an odd look, then he simply shrugged and said, "Alright then."

Nami stared at Ricky in surprise. She hadn't actually expected him to accept that. If she won, that meant Luffy, Ricky, and Zoro would be, for the most part, her slaves. "By the way," Ricky added, "if neither of us can beat the guy, you still win."

"Only there will be no treasure because we'll be running for our lives," Nami realized. "Alright, I understand. It's a bet then." Nami held out her hand and Ricky shook it to seal the deal.

**-x-**

"CHOP… CHOP… CANNON!" Buggy shouted as he launched his forearm and hand at Luffy. Buggy's hand still had knives sticking out from between the fingers and was about to go right into Luffy's face, but Luffy quickly reached out and caught the arm before it reached him, "SEPARATE!" yelled Buggy, causing the hand to shoot off of the wrist. Luffy moved his head and managed to dodge most of shot. But the knife on the end ended up cutting into Luffy's temple while nicking his hat at the same time.

Luffy glared at Buggy as held his nicked hat in his hands. Luffy had never felt so angry in his life.

"What's the matter?" Buggy taunted. "Are you gonna cry because I cut your face?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Luffy yelled, "YOU NICKED MY HAT!"

"So?" questioned Buggy, it was just a hat to him.

"THIS HAT IS MY TREASURE!" Luffy shouted, he was seething with rage. That clown was going down! "NOBODY DAMAGES THE HAT!"

**-x-**

"After you," Ricky offered as he pulled the door to the treasure shed open and stepped to the side.

"Give me thirty seconds," Nami replied, as she headed in. "I'll take out the guard and I'll have most of the treasure."

"If you say so…" Ricky agreed condescendingly.

They were met by the sight of a giant of a man, wearing a black costume that consisted of one strap going over his shoulder like a toga and ended up in a pair of shorts that went down to the middle of his thigh. While Ricky was the tallest member of his pirate crew at six feet tall this guy was about two times the size of him, his head was almost touching the ceiling. The man was larger than life, and filled up nearly half of the room. His head was shaved bald and he had a goatee-style beard, he looked incredibly strong. (A/N: Think the Big Show from WWE) Around the giant man's neck was a key on a chain.

Ricky leaned back against the wall next to the door, "Good luck."

"Captain Buggy never sends pirates in here," said the giant man, "I have been trusted to guard his treasure. State your business here."

Nami thought quickly then came up with a plan, "Oh well I…" Nami started to say as she walked forward, but then suddenly tripped, right in front of the guard. "Oh… ow… I twisted my ankle," Nami cried as she held her ankle in fake pain. The giant pirate looked down in confusion, **WHACK!** Nami was suddenly on her feet and she whacked him on the head with a bow staff. The giant's head was snapped to the side from the impact.

But instead of hurting the giant, it did nothing but make him angry, he turned his head back and cricked his neck. "I see, so you're here to steal the treasure," said the giant man, "Well you clearly have no idea who you're dealing with! My name is Shogi and I am the Ship Strongman. I have orders to kill anyone who attempts to steal Captain Buggy's treasure. Leave now or I'll have to hurt you, girl."

Nami turned and glanced at Ricky who was watching with his hands in his pockets, he looked bored if anything. Nami took a deep breath and turned back to Shogi the Strongman. If she couldn't beat this guy, then Ricky would win the bet, but that was only if he could beat the giant when she couldn't. "I'll give you one chance to leave," said Shogi, "Otherwise I'll be forced to attack. I doubt you'll survive."

Nami quickly assessed the situation, it looked really bad. This guy had taken a hard hit from her bow staff and it hadn't fazed him at all. Nami wasn't sure that this was a fight she could win. "The hell with it," Nami muttered, she swung her bow-staff at the giant's face again. **WHAP! **With one hand he reached out and caught her bow staff like it was merely a stick, with his other hand he reached out and grabbed her throat. **WHAP!**

"STRONGMAN CLUTCH!" Shogi held Nami by the throat and lifted her up into the air. **Thunk!** Nami dropped her bow-staff and started gagging and kicked at Shogi trying to get him to break his hold on her. "You stand no chance, girl," warned Shogi as he slowly started to close his hand around Nami's throat, choking her in the process. Nami was now frantically kicking the Strongman, SHE COULDN'T BREATHE! If he didn't release her soon, she'd probably choke to death. "STRONGMAN TOSS!" shouted Shogi as he roughly threw Nami across the room. Nami was alarmed at how fast he had thrown her, and quickly realized that she was going to be smashed through the door if she didn't stop herself.

Ricky suddenly ran over and jumped up behind Nami and caught her in mid air. **KRASH!** The force that Shogi had thrown Nami with was enough to knock both of them backwards, the impact of the two of them slamming into the door was enough to knock it off of its hinges. Ricky kept his arms wrapped around Nami and shielded her, so she wouldn't get hurt, then slammed hard down to the ground with Nami on top of him, **THUD!**

Nami laid on top of Ricky as she caught her breath, the pirate underneath her was rather warm and despite the fact that she could feel that he was muscular he had a strange quality that told her he'd serve as a good pillow. Nami shook her head and quickly banished those thoughts as she sat up and stared down at him.

"Would you mind… getting up?" asked Ricky, he seemed to be struggling to keep a straight face and stared at her, or more specifically, where she was sitting. Nami glanced downward, following Ricky's line of sight and noticed where she was sitting.

Her eyes went wide and she shot up to her feet and quickly turned around to keep him from seeing her blush. When it faded she turned back around and saw him getting up.

"Uh… sorry about that," Nami apologized, "And… thanks for catching me."

Ricky simply nodded, "Are you done with him?"

"That guy's a freak!" Nami exclaimed. "I can't beat someone like _that_!"

"Alright, it's my turn," Ricky resolved, "remember, if I beat him, I win."

"Don't remind me," Nami groaned.

**-x-**

"That hat's really important to you, huh?" questioned Buggy with an evil smirk. What Luffy didn't know, was that Buggy's hand was still hovering behind him with malicious intent.

"That's right!" Luffy answered.

Suddenly Buggy's hand threw a knife at Luffy which he barely managed to dodge, then Buggy's hand flew forward towards the straw hat and cut right through it. "Then you should take better care of it!" the clown pirate shouted.

Luffy stared at Buggy in horror, the clown had just sliced his hat! Shanks' hat! He remembered how Shanks always used to wear that hat and how he had lost an arm to save Luffy's life. Shanks gave Luffy his hat and told him to give it back to him when he had become a great pirate.

"You call this beat up piece of junk your treasure?" asked Buggy as his hand, which still had the hat embedded on it, flew back to him.

Luffy was seeing red and was positively fuming. Buggy was mocking his hat and hat just cut holes in it! Nobody could do that to his hat!

"I promised I'd give that hat back to Shanks!" Luffy yelled.

"What? This is Shanks' hat! I thought it looked familiar!" Buggy commented as he threw the hat on the ground. "Shanks wore that when we worked on the same ship as apprentice pirates.. He and I used to be Nakama when we were training to become pirates." Buggy glared down at the hat with dislike, "THAT FLASHY REDHEADED BASTARD!" **STOMP!** Buggy drove his foot down onto the top of the straw hat and stomped on it.

"Shanks is a great man!" Luffy shouted as he got up and charged at Buggy, "You said you were Nakama …"

"CHOP… CHOP… QUICK ESCAPE!" Buggy exclaimed, as his head shot off of his body.

"… DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO HIM!" Buggy's head might have been safe, but Luffy suddenly rammed shoulder first into Buggy's body, **WHAM!** Even though he was detached Buggy still felt the pain from Luffy hitting him and tackling him to the ground.

**-x-**

**Devil Fruit**

**-x-**

"DON'T EVER MENTION YOURSELF AND SHANKS IN THE SAME BREATH AGAIN!" Luffy hollered at Buggy.

"It's my right to say whatever I want about Shanks!" Buggy snapped.

"Spit it out, what happened between you and Shanks?" Luffy demanded, seeing how Buggy wasn't immediately answered, Luffy looked to the side and glanced at his hat. "Damn, how dare you do that to my treasure!"

"Do you really want to know?" Buggy asked. "He's the only man I can never forgive! I will curse him for the rest of my life! I will never forgive that guy!"

**-x-**

"You're fighting me now," Ricky informed the Strongman as he walked back into he shed.

"YOU'LL NEVER GET PASSED ME!" the strongman yelled as he rushed at Ricky. "STRONGMAN STRIKE!" Shogi swung his fist at Ricky looking for a knock-out punch, but Ricky spun to the side and dodged it and in one motion ran passed him. **SWISH!**

"You missed," Ricky pointed out as he stared at Shogi looking bored.

"I won't this time!" Shogi growled as he raised his fist into the air, then drove it down into the ground, **SMASH! **"STRONGMAN SHOCKWAVE!" The impact Shogi's fist made with the ground sent a shockwave of air at Ricky, **WHAM!** Ricky was sent flying and smashed into the wall of the shed then crashed down to the ground, **THUD!** "HOHOHO! YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE!" laughed Shogi, while Nami looked on in shock.

"Is that really the best you can do?" asked Ricky as he got back up. "I'm not impressed."

Ricky rushed at Shogi and jumped up into the air, but the strongman suddenly reached up and grabbed him by the throat, **WHAP!** "STRONGMAN CLUTCH!" He enclosed his hand around Ricky's throat and started choking him, then in a flash Shogi spun around and dropped to his knees as he drove him down to the ground, "STRONGMAN SHOWSTOPPER!" **WHAM! **The entire shed shook from the force of Ricky hitting the ground. Shogi stood back up and grabbed Ricky by the shirt, then pulled him up and out of the crater he'd been lying in and tossed him over to Nami.

"Now get out!" Shogi snarled, "No one ever gets up after I've chokeslammed them. He's lucky he lived through it."

Nami stared at the Strongman in horror, then dropped down beside Ricky and nudged his shoulder. "Come on, get up," Nami whispered, "We need to get out of here before we both get killed."

Ricky's eye opened and he slowly got back up, surprising the two other occupants of the shed. What was even more surprising was that the only emotion on Ricky's face was that of boredom. It didn't even look like he was in pain.

**-x-**

Back at the refugee shelter, the townspeople were getting worried about the mayor. "Something's wrong," said villager, "the Mayor's been gone too long."

"Damn him, he's worrying everyone," the elder villager said.

"Maybe something happened in town. I heard a lot of cannon fire today."

"Alright I'll go into town and look for him," the elder villager announced, "Everyone stay here until I get back."

"I won't let you go alone," said a villager as he picked up a stick, "I'm going with you."

"Don't be a fool!" the elder villager snapped, "There aren't just any pirates. They're Buggy's infamous pirate crew!"

"That's why we're going with you. We can't call ourselves good citizens if we don't defend our Mayor."

"And you can't stop us. We're doing this out of our own free will."

"Do what you want then," the elder villager conceded.

"Then let's go!" the other villagers cheered as they raised their weapons, then went off after the village elder to help the mayor.

**-x-**

"I'm done," said Ricky as he faced Shogi again. Shogi and Nami looked at him in shock, how could he get up after the Strongman had slammed him like that?

"Done?" questioned the guard, "Well I'll admit that you can take a lot of punishment, no one has gotten up from that before, but giving up was probably a good choice."

"You're wrong," said Ricky. "I'm done playing with you. If you don't mind, I'm going to start taking this seriously."

"You little bastard!" Shogi snapped. "You can't beat me! You have yet to get a hit in!"

"I will," Ricky assured him. "I've already figured out how to beat you."

Ricky charged at giant man, showing no signs of slowing down, Shogi swung at Ricky, "STRONGMAN STRI—" **SWISH! **Ricky ducked the punch and kept running, then turned around and jumped up onto the Strongman's back. "WHY YOU LITTLE…" yelled Shogi as he reached back and tried to pull Ricky off of his back. But Ricky wasn't going anywhere, he quickly got his arm around Shogi's throat and put him in some kind of sleeper hold.

"YOU FOOL!" Shogi shouted as the spun to the side, causing Ricky to lose part of his hold. Shogi quickly reached back then grabbed Ricky's ankle. "STRONGMAN TOSS!" The strongman threw Ricky off of his back and towards the wall, then laughed loudly, "HOHOHO! You'll have to do better then that!"

Ricky flew through the air towards the wall, while at the same time moved his legs out in front of him. Ricky reached the wall and BOUNCED OFF OF IT! **SKIFF! **"How's this?" asked Ricky, as he rocketed through the air back towards his opponent.

Shogi looked at the rapidly approaching one-eyed pirate in shock, how did he do that? In mid air Ricky moved his legs out in front of him, "Flying… ARROW KICK!" **KA-THUNK! **When he reached him, Ricky drove his boots into the strongman's face.

Ricky straightened his legs and backflipped off of Shogi and landed on his feet, then Ricky jumped up and shot out his leg, "JAVELIN KICK!" **CRUNCH! **Ricky drove the steel bottom of his boot into Shogi's jaw. The strongman fell backwards and hit the ground, **THUD! **The entire shed rattled from the big man falling. The strongman was out cold. Ricky had won.

A small grin appeared on Ricky's face as he turned to face Nami, she was staring at him with her mouth hanging open. "You're just as inhuman as those other two!" exclaimed Nami. "I thought it was strange that you managed to beat that lion… but you took him down with two kicks! How'd you do that!"

"Luffy and Zoro are a lot stronger than I am," Ricky told her. "I won because of two things, first, I used the momentum from his throw against him, that basically knocked him out, then I just had to knock him over. And second, Anime Law 44, that's the only time I raise my voice. You should really consider naming your attacks."

"Wait… what!" asked Nami in confusion.

"I believe I just won another bet," Ricky reminded her, changing the subject, "I beat the guard, and he was clearly stronger than a normal pirate."

"Yeah I know, now I have to join your stupid pirate crew."

Ricky nodded, and without looking away from Nami he said, "Look at it this way, now we can split the treasure."

Nami glanced around the body of the unconscious strongman and spotted a large pile of gold and jewels in one corner. In the corner opposite the pile of treasure was a treasure chest with a lock on it. **KA-CHING!** Nami's eyes were replaced with berri signs as she stared at the large pile of gold.

"WOW!" Nami exclaimed. "Say what you will about Buggy, but he's got an eye for treasure! How much do you think this is all worth?"

Ricky stared at the pile of treasure and cast a quick glance at the treasure chest in the other corner, "I'd guess about ten million berries," Ricky offered. He cautiously walked over to the body of his fallen opponent, and then yanked the chain with the key on it off of his neck. Ricky took the key and walked over to the chest in the corner, he knelt down in front of it and was vaguely aware of Nami standing behind him as he slipped the key into the lock and turned it, **Click! **The lock snapped opened and Ricky pulled it off of the latch, then opened the lid of the chest **KREK!** Ricky, and Nami who was looking over his shoulder, stared down into the chest and saw a rolled up piece of paper.

Ricky reached in and pulled out the paper, then unrolled it. Ricky smiled, "The chart of the Grand Line," he commented, "Well I got what I came here for." The rolled up the chart and slipped it into his bottom right pocket.

"Does that mean I can keep all the treasure?" Nami inquired hopefully.

"I thought we agreed we'd split it," Ricky reminded her, "Don't you remember… shipmate?"

"Look!" Nami snapped, "just because I lost the bet and have to join your crew of freaks, doesn't mean I'll stand around and take orders from you idiots! And if you think just for one minute that since I'm the only girl on this crew that I'll sleep with _any_ of you, you've got another thing coming, GOT THAT PERVERT!"

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind," Ricky replied.

"Good!" Nami retorted. "Wait… ARE YOU SAYING I'M UGLY! DO YOU LIKE GUYS OR SOMETHING!"

"Can we just get the treasure and go?" asked Ricky, hoping to cut her off before she got too angry.

"Oh, good idea," Nami realized. She pulled out a large sack from who-knows-where and shook it opened. "We'll split the treasure on the ship. Let's bag it, and get out of here."

Ricky nodded and began helping Nami filled the sack with Buggy's large assortment of treasure. "Seriously though…" Nami eventually said, breaking the silence, "you're not gay right?"

"What makes you think I am?" Ricky inquired.

"Well… you sail around in a small boat with two other guys," Nami reasoned, "and you and your Captain seem kind of close… I mean… you stretched his face…"

"That's disgusting," Ricky said with a grimace, "Luffy's my younger brother."

"If you're the older brother why isn't he on _your_ pirate crew?" questioned Nami, she pulled a golden crown out of the sack that now held all of Buggy's treasure and placed it on Ricky's head. "Why aren't _you_ trying to be King of the Pirates?"

"Didn't we go over this already?" asked Ricky. "First, I was a Treasure Hunter before I was a pirate, just like Zoro was a Pirate Hunter. Second, Luffy's dream is to be King of the Pirates, my dream is to find the Pirate King's Treasure. I don't want to be King of the Pirates, too much pressure, and I'd never stand in the way of my brother's dream. Luffy's a lot stronger than I am, I wouldn't stand a chance if I went up against him in an all out fight." Ricky took off the crown and put it in the bag with the rest of the treasure, Nami stared at him.

"You're a really weird pirate," Nami told him.

Ricky smiled as he stood up and tied the sack shut. "Nami, you ain't seen nothing yet. Now let's get out of here."

**-x-**

"Never in my life has anyone made me as angry as Shanks has," Buggy snapped as he glared at Luffy, "He stole a great treasure from me! I'll never forgive him for that! I don't know how you're related to him, but its my right to say anything I want about him."

Buggy began his story and explained how he and Shanks both used to be Apprentice Pirates on the same ship, but argued and fought a lot. Usually about silly things, like if the North Pole or the South Pole was colder. On one ship raid Buggy had come across a mysterious map, the map depicted a treasure that was buried underwater. Buggy quickly hid the map and kept it to himself, that treasure would be his and his alone.

Buggy talked with Shanks later that night and discussed what they would do when they were done being Apprentice Pirates. Shanks had said he was going to gather a Nakama and sail the world in search of adventure as a pirate captain. Buggy had plans to start a pirate crew of his own (maybe a Circus themed one) but since he and Shanks were so different they wouldn't be able to be on the same crew, and if they came across each other in the future, they'd be rivals.

Their conversation then changed the Devil Fruit one of the other pirates had acquired during the earlier raid. Shanks explained to Buggy that anyone who ate the fruit would gain the powers of the Devil, but would no longer be able to swim. Buggy figured someone would have to be an idiot to eat a Devil Fruit. There was a particular treasure buried underwater that he wanted, he'd have to be able to swim if he wanted to get it. But Shanks also mentioned that the Devil Fruits were valuable and that they could be sold for over a hundred million berries. One hundred million berri was a lot of money, but that gave Buggy an idea.

The next day Buggy announced to the entire crew that he was going to eat the Devil Fruit and then flashily did so with everyone watching. But the Devil Fruit didn't do anything… because it was fake. The night before, Buggy had replaced the original Devil Fruit with a fake one, so he could flashily eat it and make everyone else think that it was gone. He kept the real Devil Fruit to himself and with that and the map to the underwater treasure he was about ready to set off and form his own pirate crew. But that was when Shanks appeared.

Shanks surprised Buggy and he quickly hid the Devil Fruit in his mouth to keep Shanks from seeing it. Shanks saw the odd-looking bulge in Buggy's mouth and assumed it was food. After warning Buggy that he'd be scolded by the cook if he got caught, Shanks left. Buggy relaxed, relieved that he hadn't been caught, but Shanks came back having remembered what he had come to tell Buggy in the first place, he startled Buggy so much that he ended up swallowing the Devil Fruit that was still in his mouth. NOW HE COULDN'T SWIM! Buggy was pissed and attempted to strangle Shanks for keeping him from his dream, but in his haste to hurt Shanks, Buggy dropped the treasure map and it went flying off of the ship.

Without thinking Buggy dove after the map in an attempt to save it, but as soon as he hit the water he discovered that he couldn't move. He had eaten one of the Devil Fruits and now he was at the ocean's mercy and would probably drown. Shanks dove into the water after Buggy and managed to save him, but in the end Shanks had cost Buggy the underwater treasure. Now that Buggy was unable to swim, he'd never be able to get the treasure.

"Oh, so Shanks saved your life," Luffy commented once Buggy's story was over.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE!" yBuggy yelled. "Because of him my plan was delayed ten years! I've searched but I can't get the treasure underneath the sea. Now I have to settle for getting all of the treasure _ON_ the sea using my Chop Chop Powers."

Buggy's top half split from his bottom half and floated up into the air, but due to being high up in the sky, Buggy noticed two people creeping out of his treasure shed, "I don't care how insignificant of a fly, if you put your hands of my treasure… I'LL SQUASH YOU!"

With that Buggy flew downward towards Ricky and Nami, who noticed Buggy descending on them, "EEEP!" Nami squeaked as she stepped behind Ricky and held him in front of her like a meat shield as the enraged pirate half flew at them.

**-x-**

I got the idea for Shogi from the manga, in one of his question and answer columns Oda had said he wanted to have an animal tamer, a strange swordsman, and a strongman on Buggy's crew. In the sketches the strongman was really short and his head looked like a skunk. I thought a big strong-looking guy would be a better strongman so I changed it and I figured since Buggy cares so much about his treasure, he'd leave someone strong to protect it. There you have it.

Ricky has fought enough now for me to fully explain his fighting style. He fights using kicks and a sword, but hasn't mastered those forms of combat to the point that Zoro and Sanji have. If Ricky fought Zoro in a straight forward sword fight, he'd lose. If Ricky fought Sanji in a kick battle without any weapons, he'd lose. Ricky's real weapon is his intelligence and his resiliency. Ricky is extremely resourceful and versatile, and with the right momentum and speed, he can take out the biggest and strongest of opponents. If Ricky fought Zoro or Sanji in an all out fight, exploited their weaknesses and used all the resources available to him, he'd win. But if he fought Luffy under the same circumstances, he'd most likely still lose.

The battle with Buggy the Clown comes to a conclusion next chapter. According to Buggy, Nami has yet to grasp the Way of the Thief.

"Till Next Time…

Peace!


	11. Chapter 10

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**The Way Of The Thief**

**-x-**

_With that Buggy flew downward towards Ricky and Nami, who noticed Buggy descending on them, "EEEP!" Nami squeaked as she stepped behind Ricky and held him in front of her like a meat shield as the enraged pirate half flew at them._

"HANDS OFF MY TREASURE!" Buggy bellowed.

"Oh crap! He saw us!" Nami exclaimed in alarm.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Ricky said calmly.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" asked Nami.

"Run!" Ricky grabbed Nami's hand then turned and ran off, pulling Nami along with him.

Buggy flew after them and drew his knives, "You two won't get the better of me! I'LL CUT YOU TO PIECES! You won't even get a speck of gold paint!"

But while Buggy's top half was flying towards Nami and Ricky, Luffy noticed that Buggy's bottom half wasn't moving. **PUNT!** A look of immense pain appeared on Buggy's face and he let out a grunt then dropped to the ground, "UUNGGGHH!"

Ricky winced when he saw Luffy, having been left alone with Buggy's unmoving lower half, he had seized the opportunity and kicked Buggy in between the legs.

"AAAAHHH! MY BALLS!" Buggy screamed in pain. "MY BUGGY BALLS!"

"Kicking someone in the jewels is uncalled for," Ricky commented as he released Nami's hand and stared down at Buggy.

"Uuuunnnnggg… you've got that right," Buggy groaned from the ground in a higher pitched voice than usual.

"Don't forget, our fight is not over yet!" Luffy reminded Buggy.

"Phew! We're safe," Nami said with a sigh of relief, while still holding the sack of treasure tightly to her chest.

"Hey, drop the loot or he'll keep coming after you!" Luffy yelled to Ricky and Nami.

"After what we went through to get it?" asked Ricky. "Not likely."

"Leave the treasure? NOT A CHANCE!" Nami exclaimed. "I'm not going to leave my treasure behind!"

"_YOUR_ treasure?" Buggy repeated from the ground.

"That right _MY_ treasure," Nami snapped, oblivious to the look Ricky was giving her. "I'm a Master Thief and I just stole it. MINE! MINE! MINE!"

"Oh, that makes sense," Luffy commented with a nod.

"THAT'S _MY_ TREASURE YOU FOOL!" Buggy shouted. "ITS NOT YOURS UNTIL YOU GET AWAY WITH IT! THAT'S THE BASIC TENET OF THIEVERY!"

"I don't argue with lowlife pirates," said Nami as she stuck out her tongue. "I'd never stoop so low as to take lessons from you."

"Big Nose, why don't you just go back to fighting Luffy," Ricky suggested. "Once he beats you, we'll be able to keep the treasure thanks to the Pirate's Code. We can avoid this whole thing that way."

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE FUN OF MY NOSE!" Buggy yelled. "I'LL KILL YOU, CYCLOPS! BOTH OF YOU WILL SUFFER THE FLASHY CONSEQUENCES! CHOP… CHOP… FESTIVAL!" Buggy suddenly separated into hundreds of small pieces. His head flew up into the air, while parts of his arms, legs, and torso flew around him, Ricky grabbed Nami and jumped back out of the way in time to avoid being hit. "LET'S SEE YOU SAVE YOUR FRIENDS NOW _GUM GUM_!" Buggy's head taunted from up in the air.

"Darn he's all over the place," Luffy complained.

"Well you'd better beat him soon," Ricky warned him, "If he hits me, the Pirate's Code goes out the window. I'm kind of glad we already stole his treasure."

"How am I supposed to fight him?" questioned Luffy, who suddenly noticed Buggy's feet hurrying away from him, "Aha! His feet don't fly." Luffy quickly leapt forward and grabbed one of Buggy's feet, "I've got your foot!" Luffy exclaimed as he struggled to hold Buggy's struggling shoe.

**SWAK! **"This is a waste of time," Ricky muttered as he swatted a body part and sent it flying away from him. It looked like a knee, but it could have been an elbow.

"NAMI, GIMME BACK MY TREASURE!" Buggy's head shouted as it flew at Nami, accompanied by his hands, which were each holding a sharp knife.

But suddenly, Buggy stopped in mid air and was overcome by a fit of laughter. "BWAHAHAHAHA! STOP!" Buggy laughed as he turned to see Luffy tickling one of his feet.

"How do you like this!" asked Luffy as he lifted Buggy's foot up and jammed the toes down onto the hard stone ground, **FWUMP!**

Buggy let out a grunt of pain "YOOOOWWW!"

"_Buggy's flying all over the place,"_ Ricky said to himself as he ducked several parts of one of Buggy's arms, _"But since he didn't realize Luffy had his foot until he started tickling it, that means he doesn't know what's happening with his other body parts unless they're directly affected. If I was to somehow gather Buggy's body together, then when he pulled himself back together he'd be missing pieces."_

"You're a tough clown aren't you?" Luffy asked Buggy's foot as he gave it a good pinch, causing Buggy to scream out in pain.

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Buggy yelled at Luffy, "CUT IT OUT!"

"The one who had to cut it out… IS YOU!" Nami snapped as she took her sack of treasure and swung it at Buggy's head.

**WHAP! **But the hit didn't connect. Buggy's hands had managed to move in and catch the flying sack of treasure before it smashing to Buggy's face. "Thank you for returning my treasure!" Buggy taunted Nami.

"LET GO!" Nami yelled, as she pulled back on the sack of treasure.

"Let go?" Buggy repeated, "_**YOU **_LET GO! IT'S _**MY**_ TREASURE!"

While the tug-a-war over the sack of loot was going on, Ricky discreetly slid around the corner of the shed, and no one noticed as random bits of Buggy started floating in that direction. Luffy saw the tug-a-war and came sprinting over, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHTING ME, REMEMBER!" Luffy yelled as he jumped up into the air. **THUMP!** Luffy slammed his foot into Buggy's face, sending Buggy's head crashing to the ground.

"Gotcha," said Luffy as he stared down at Buggy's head, "That was for the Mayor!"

"Thanks for saving me," Nami thanked Luffy.

"No problem," Luffy replied, as he glanced around at the treasure all over the place since the sack of loot had ripped when Luffy kicked Buggy in the head.

"My treasure's scattered all over the place!" Nami exclaimed, as she stared at all the gold pieces, jewels, and other goodies that littering the ground.

"**Hey, not so fast Rubber Boy!" **came the voice of Buggy as his head and coat once again floated up off of the ground.

"Hmph, you're still alive?" questioned Luffy.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Buggy screamed.

But while Luffy and Buggy were arguing, Nami suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Nami turned around and took the rope that Ricky held out to her, she stared at him suspiciously as he adjusted his eye patch, but then she noticed what she was just handed. A huge smirk appeared on the thief's face.

"CHOP…CHOP… REASSEMBLE!" Buggy yelled, summoning all of his parts together. But when it was done, Buggy was shocked, all that returned were his hands and feet, he didn't even come up to Luffy's knee.

"…" Luffy stared at Buggy in surprise.

"…" Buggy stared at Luffy in surprise. O.O

"…" Ricky stood off to the side but looked amused.

"…" Zoro, Cabaji, Mohji, and the Mayor were still unconscious.

"Is this what you're looking for?" asked Nami as she showed Buggy his limbs and torso all tied up with a rope.

"MY BODY!" Buggy cried.

"Hahaha! Good job Master Thief," Luffy laughed, "Leave the rest to me. Good bye Buggy!" Luffy quickly stretched his arms out behind him, "GUM… GUM… BAZOOKA!" **BAAM! **Luffy's arms shot forward with the power and speed of a bazooka and slammed into Buggy's face, sending the incomplete pirate flying up into the air and over the roof tops of the town and disappeared. **TWINKLE!**

**-x-**

**Townies**

**-x-**

"I WIN!" Luffy cheered loudly, before turning to Nami, "Now you'll join my crew, right?"

Nami glanced at Ricky, "Yeah, I guess. I'll make a fortune if I stick with you guys."

Ricky didn't react at all, he just bent down and picked an emerald up off of the ground and held it in front of him and stared through it, "I'd say its worth about 150,000 berries," Ricky commented as he placed it in his bottom left pocket then went about helping Nami gather up Buggy's treasure and put it back in the two sacks. Nami didn't notice him slipping a bunch of gold coins into his 'treasure pocket'.

"You've got to give Buggy credit," Nami admitted as she held a heavy sack up to her, "He's got an eye for treasure!"

"Half is mine," Ricky reminded her, as he lifted up his sack of treasure then turned and glanced at Luffy who was looking down at his straw hat. There were three large slits in the top of it.

"That hat really means a lot to you doesn't it?" Nami asked Luffy as she and Ricky carried their treasure over to him.

"This hat's my treasure," Luffy explained.

"Treasure?" Nami repeated. "Why? Do you have another map in there? Ooooh! Or maybe some jewels?"

"Uh… no… " Luffy said uncertainly as he looked at Ricky.

"That hat has sentimental value," Ricky told Nami. "Luffy got it from a great pirate that saved his life. When he was given that hat he promised he'd become the greatest pirate ever… the new King of the Pirates."

"Like that sword of yours?" questioned Nami as she eyed the red sword that was sheathed at Ricky's waist.

"You're learning," Ricky commented with a small smile.

"I guess it's not so bad," Luffy admitted as he stared down the hat, "I can still wear it. But it sure felt good to clobber old Buggy."

"I could… sew up the holes if you want," Nami offered.

"REALLY!" Luffy asked happily.

"Uh… yeah," Nami answered surprised by the rubber man's enthusiasm. She glanced at Ricky and saw the faint trace of a smile on his face. "Of course," Nami continued with more confidence. "I've got a needle and some thread. I should be able to fix it for you."

"Luffy, I've got even more good news, not only did we get the treasure and an excellent navigator," Ricky announced, he reached into his bottom right pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. "We got the chart we came here for. Mission accomplished."

"YAAAAHHHHOOOOOO!" Luffy cheered.

**-x-**

"Did you see that?" one of Buggy's pirates asked another, "Buggy got his ass kicked!"

"What should we do?" asked the other.

"I think I'll play dead for a little while longer," the first resolved, he didn't want to mess with the people that beat his captain.

"Good idea," the other agreed.

**-x-**

"Hey Zoro wake up!" Luffy yelled at the Swordsman, "Let's get going!"

"Did you guys take care of things?" asked Zoro as he yawned and sat up.

"Yeah, we got the map and the treasure," Luffy replied.

"And a Navigator," Ricky added. Nami rolled her eyes in response. Zoro stared at Nami for a moment, and didn't appear to immediately trust her, but he shrugged and agreed with Luffy and Ricky's judgment. He attempted to get up, but found he couldn't due to all his injuries.

"It's no good," said Zoro. "I don't think I can walk."

"Of course not," Nami snapped, "If you could I wouldn't believe any of you guys could be human."

"Hey don't lump me with him!" Luffy protested.

"You're even less human than he is!" Nami shouted at Luffy before turning to Ricky, "And don't you DARE say anything."

"I wasn't going to," Ricky replied.

"I'd better wake the Mayor," Luffy said out loud when he noticed that the Mayor was still out cold from when Ricky had punched him.

"**Hey you guys!"** came a voice, the four Straw Hat crew members turned to see a small group of villagers approaching, "We're the citizens of this town. What happened here? Did the pirates mutiny or something? Come on, you'd better talk!"

"Oh, townspeople," Nami sighed in relief, "I thought you were more pirates. Sure, we'll tell you what happened, but it's a long story."

"HEY IT'S THE MAYOR!" one of the villagers suddenly yelled upon noticing the unconscious old man.

The mob of villagers went over to the Mayor and checked on him, "Mayor are you hurt?" one of the villagers asked.

"What happened to him?" another villager asked Luffy, "I bet it was those lousy pirates."

"No it wasn't," said Luffy, he pointed to his First Mate, "He knocked the old man out." Ricky's eye went wide as the villagers glared at him for attacking their mayor. As usual, Luffy was incapable of lying.

"Luffy you didn't have to tell them he did it?" Nami snapped.

"But you saw him do it," Luffy reminded her.

"True," Nami admitted, "But I wasn't going to tell them!"

"You did this to him?" questioned a villager as he glared at Ricky, "what are you? Pirates?"

"They're in an ugly mood," Nami whispered to Ricky, "Just don't tell them we're pirate and thieves, or they'll kill us." Ricky nodded, but Luffy didn't.

"WE'RE PIRATES!" Luffy answered loudly, causing both Ricky and Nami to sweat-drop.

"PIRATES! GET 'EM!" a villager yelled as he and the rest of the mob charged at Luffy, Ricky, and Nami.

"YOU IDIOT!" Nami scolded Luffy.

"But we _are_ pirates," Luffy protested.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Ricky suggested calmly as the mob got closer.

"What's that?" asked Luffy.

"Run!" Ricky instructed as he quickly grabbed Zoro, threw him over his shoulder and started sprinting off towards the harbor. Luffy and Nami quickly chased after him, with the villagers right behind them.

"THEY'RE RUNNING! AFTER THEM!" one of the villagers shouted, urging the rest of the mob onward.

"Don't let them get away!" another villager exclaimed, "They'll pay for attacking the Mayor!"

"Do you always have to complicate things?" Nami snapped at Luffy.

"They're good people," Luffy replied as he and Nami mostly caught up with Ricky, despite his large size and the fact that he was carrying Zoro and around five million berries worth of treasure, he was really fast.

"So?" questioned Nami.

"They're worked up because they love their Mayor. It wouldn't matter what we told them!" Nami didn't answer, and instead just took in what Luffy said as the three of them made a sharp turn and darted down an alley.

"THEY'RE HEADING DOWN THE ALLEY!" one of the villagers yelled to the others. But suddenly the mob of villagers heard a loud barking coming from in front of them, and quickly stopped running. Chou-Chou was sitting in the villagers' path, clearly intent on not letting them passed.

"Chou-Chou!" Nami exclaimed, while Luffy shouted, "DOGGY!"

"BARK! WOOF! WOOF!"

"Get out of the way Chou-Chou," one of the villagers snapped at the small dog, "Those are bad people!"

But Chou-Chou wasn't moving, "BARK! BARK BARK RUFF!" The dog just kept barking, allowing the pirates to get even further away.

"You're barking at the wrong people! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"BARK! RUFF BARK!" Chou-Chou didn't get out of the way, and the three pirates, plus Zoro, who Ricky was still carrying, got away.

"Phew, that was too close," said a very relieved Nami once they reached the harbor, "Chou-Chou really saved our necks back there!"

"I'll say," Ricky agreed, he had stopped and allowed the other two to catch up with him.

"Why are we in this mess anyway?" asked Nami.

"Our Captain is incapable of lying," Ricky informed her. "You'll get used to it." Ricky then turned to Luffy, "Luffy, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" asked Luffy. Ricky leaned over and whispered something in Luffy's ear and handed him the sack of treasure he was holding.

"Okay, I can do that," Luffy agreed, he turned and ran off carrying his sack of treasure with him.

"What's did you ask him to do?" asked Nami curiously.

"I told him to hold off the villagers while we cast off," Ricky explained as he hefted Zoro up higher onto his shoulder. "He'll catch up." Nami stared at him, she didn't look entirely convinced but followed Ricky as he continued over to two boats that were tied to the dock.

"Is that your ship?" Ricky asked Nami as he glanced at the ship anchored next to the one he recognized as his.

"Not really," Nami admitted, "I just stole this ship from a bunch of stupid pirates,"

"**WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU GIRLIE!"** came a voice from the ship, suddenly the three 'stupid pirates' in questioned appeared made their way over to Nami and Ricky.

"Y-you guys," Nami stammered as the three stooges advanced on her and Ricky.

"We knew you'd come back to the ship," said Moe.

"Imagine our surprise in finding our stolen ship anchored in the harbor," Larry added.

"You haven't forgot about us have you?" Curly asked.

"Friends of yours?" Ricky calmly inquired.

"Not exactly," Nami answered as she slowly moved and stood behind him, he seemed to be the right size for a meat shield.

"Now that's not nice," Moe scolded her, then he glanced at Ricky, "It seems you've brought a little boyfriend, eh? Well he's in for the same treatment as you."

"Boyfriend?" Ricky and Nami repeated at the same time.

The three pirates were even closer now and just a short distance away from Nami and Ricky. "This'll teach you to steal pirate ships!"

"Hey what's wrong with you," Larry snapped as he stepped forward and slapped Zoro on the back of the head, **WHAP!** "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"Ow," said Zoro as he slowly looked up.

"AAAAYYYYEEE!" **SPLASH!** Upon seeing who he was, the three pirates screamed like little girls then turned around and dove into the water and swam away as fast as they could.

**-x-**

"The Mayor, he's coming around," one of the villagers announced as the old man finally woke up. Most the villagers had given up chasing the pirates and had gone back to check on the mayor.

"Mayor what happened?" another villager asked the old man.

"What the…" Boodle gasped when he suddenly noticed that the pub and been completely destroyed and Buggy was nowhere in sight.

"It was like that when we got here," said one of the villagers, answering the Mayor's unasked question.

"There were these four suspicious characters though," another villager added, "One with a straw hat, another with an eye patch, a girl, and one guy with green hair who was unconscious."

"That kid… and his friends," the Mayor stammered, "They're still alive!"

The pieces came together in the old Mayor's head, he remembered the straw hat kid pushing him and then tripping over something, probably the kid with the eye patch. And if they were still alive after all of this time, then maybe… they won! "Damn kids!" the Mayor snapped. "How could they do this to an old man like me!"

"We just chased those pirates out of town," a villager announced as he and the villagers that had gone with him returned.

"But we'd like to get our hands on 'em. That boy was mocking us!"

"We'll teach those pirates to respect decent citizens!"

"Yeah, let's get those scoundrels!"

"SHUT UP!" the Mayor suddenly yelled, causing all of the conversation going on around him to stop, "I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS TO CALL THEM NAMES! DON'T ANY OF YOU EVER TALK BAD ABOUT THEM!"

"Mayor, why are you defending them?" a villager asked.

"_Those damn kids,"_ the mayor said to himself without answering the villager's question, _"do they think they can get away without hearing from me?"_ The Mayor slowly got up and turned to one of the villagers, "which way did they go?" he demanded.

"Uh… they ran for the docks," answered one of the villagers.

The Mayor didn't wait to hear the rest, he quickly turned away and sprinted off towards the docks, pulling his armor off and tossing it to the side on his way. "The nerve of those kids, this is my town!" the mayor muttered to himself, "I've got a few things to say to them."

**-x-**

"Are you sure he'll catch up?" asked Nami.

"Yeah, let's set sail," Ricky suggested as he carried Zoro onto his ship while Nami got on hers.

**-x-**

A bunch of villagers that were still trying to catch the pirate went darting down an alley that wasn't blocked by a dog. But suddenly they saw the pirate that had been mocking them earlier standing on the other end. "Catch," said the pirate as he spun around then threw the sack he was holding at he villagers. **THUNK!** The sack connected with the chest of one villager and he went crashing down to the ground. The other villagers looked down to check on him. But when they looked up for the pirate again, he was gone.

"Hold on, this sack is filled with gold!"

**-x-**

Luffy came sprinting over to the dock, Nami and Ricky were starting to sail off.

"Grab on," Ricky called out as he held out his arm.

**FWOING!** Luffy stretched out his arm and grabbed onto Ricky's outstretched hand. **Whap! **"GUM… GUM… ROCKET!" **FWUP!** Luffy's arm retracted and he flew over the water towards the boat, Ricky quickly ducked out of the way, **THUD!** Luffy crashed down onto the bottom of the boat with a loud thud.

"**HEY YOU KIDS!" **came a loud shout. The Straw Hats turned to see Mayor Boodle running up to the dock. "I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU!"

"It's the Mayor," Luffy observed as he sat up.

"_I was a desperate man,"_ Mayor Boodle thought to himself, _"Buggy would have killed me! I was ready to die… but they saved me and my town!"_

Luffy, Nami, Ricky, and Zoro stared at the Mayor. "THANK YOU! I WON'T FORGET IT!" the Mayor shouted.

"You're welcome Mayor!" Luffy shouted back.

**-x-**

"YOU _**GAVE **_THEM THE TREASURE?" Nami yelled as she glared at Luffy from her boat.

"But… but… he told me to!" the Captain protested as he pointed to the First Mate.

"THAT WAS FIVE MILLION BERRIES I HANDED YOU!" Nami shouted as she focused her attention on the Ricky. Luffy and Zoro quickly slid away from Ricky to avoid her wrath.

"Their town was destroyed," Ricky reasoned, "They needed it more than I do. And that was my half, so I could do what I wanted with it." A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face, "Or were you planning on stealing it from me?"

"_He tricked me! AGAIN!" _Nami shouted in her mind, Nami suddenly lunged from her ship to the other one and pounced on Ricky, then she started strangling him. "You… gave… away… five… million… berries!" Nami growled as she furiously shook Ricky with her hands wrapped tightly around his throat.

"It was… mine…" Ricky choked out while Luffy and Zoro sat there and laughed.

"We can't go back for it, but if you ever do anything like that again, I'll kill you!" Nami yelled as she finally let go of Ricky's throat, leaving him panting underneath her.

"Greedy little she-devil," Ricky muttered.

"What was that?" Nami growled as she glared down at him.

"I called you a greedy little she-devil," Ricky stated. "I won't take it back."

"Oh yeah!" Nami reached down and resumed choking him.

"Hahahahaha!" Luffy and Zoro laughed together.

Luffy smiled as he watched his brother get strangled by their new Nakama, "Our crew finally has a Navigator!"

So the Straw Hat Crew had now recruited a new navigator, but none of them know, that soon they'll be facing the Trial of the Forest.

**-x-**

That's the end of the Buggy Arc. There's just one more stop and then it's the beginning of the Kuro Arc. Here's another difference between the anime and the manga. In the anime they land on Gaimon's Island _after _the Kuro Arc, so Usopp is with them. But in the manga they land on the island _before _the Kuro Arc and its just Luffy and Nami that go onto the island, or in this case, Luffy, Ricky, and Nami. Next chapter, Luffy, Ricky, and Nami face The Trial of the Forest and encounter some strange creatures.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	12. Chapter 11

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Strange Creatures**

**-x-**

(A/N: Before we get started, I figured I'd warn everyone. THIS CHAPTER IS FILLER! It does not directly affect the plot and only provides some character development and an odd adventure in the East Blue. It's also really long, in fact, its the longest chapter of this story yet. So feel free to skip it if you feel like it, I won't hold it against you.)

**-x-**

The moon was high up in the night sky as the two small boats bobbed up and down in the dark water. On one ship, Luffy, Ricky, and Zoro were all asleep on the deck, but on the other ship, which was still flying the flag of Buggy the Clown, Nami's eyes snapped opened. She got up and used the cool night breeze to carefully guide her ship up alongside the other one. When her boat bumped the side of the ship the guys were sleeping in, Nami dropped the anchor again to keep her boat from drifting too far.

There was something she was curious about and wanted to do for a while now. This seemed like the perfect time to do it, while they were sleeping, or to be more specific, while _he_ was sleeping. Nami held her breath and drew on all her experience as a sneaky thief as she climbed out of her boat and into the other one. She carefully stepped over Zoro who was sprawled out in the middle of the boat and silently walked over to her target. She let out the breath she had been holding then took a new one as she carefully knelt down beside him.

She reached out for her target. Finally the questions that had been eating at her since she had met him would be answered. Her fingers curled as she grabbed onto it without touching him, but then she found out what curiosity did to the cat.

**WHAP! **A hand grabbed her wrist and another grabbed her shoulder and Nami suddenly found herself on her back underneath him, **WHAM!** Nami stared up at him and saw a look in his eye that she never wanted to see again. It slowly faded and Ricky released her and backed away.

Nami sat up and held a hand over her heart, and quickly converted any fear she was feeling into anger. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" she demanded.

"I could ask you the same question," Ricky growled, he seemed just as angry as she was, but was restraining it.

"I just wanted to see what was under your eye patch!" Nami snapped, "you didn't have to _attack_ me!"

"While you're on this crew," Ricky said. "The last thing you want to do, aside from damaging Luffy's straw hat, is touch my eye patch. As you just found out, I'm a light sleeper."

"No duh," Nami grumbled.

"You never want to see what's under my eye patch," Ricky assured her, "it still disgusts me."

"Maybe _I_ should be the judge of that!" Nami argued

"You're gonna have to take my word for it," Ricky told her. "I'd never hurt you, you're Nakama. Hurting our Nakama goes against everything Luffy and I stand for, the same thing probably goes for Zoro. Just stay away from me when you think I'm sleeping."

Nami got up and climbed back to her boat, "I wouldn't want to sleep near a smelly pirate anyway!"

Nami watched as he stood up and silently climbed the mast of the boat he was in then reclaimed his spot on top of the sail and stared up at the night sky. Nami still wondered how he managed to balance on that thin wooden rigging, but decided she'd figure that out some other time. She went inside her boat and went to sleep, but silently vowed that she _would_ find out what was under that eye patch of his.

**-x-**

Luffy, Ricky, Zoro, and Nami continued on their way, sailing side-by-side in their two boats. Zoro was sleeping as usual while Ricky was once again lying on top of the sail while staring up at the sky. Luffy was wide awake and was currently overjoyed due to the actions of their new navigator.

"YOU FIXED IT!" Luffy cheered as he held up the straw hat that Nami had repaired for him like she said she would.

"It's just temporary," Nami reminded Luffy, "I just sewed up the holes. It'll be fine if you aren't too rough with it."

But of course Luffy wasn't listening, and instead was poking the spot on the hat where one of the holes had been. "Thanks, the hat was full of holes, now you can't even tell!" But suddenly the weak stitching gave way to Luffy's finger, causing him to poke right through the hat.

"YOU DON'T LISTEN!" Nami yelled as she suddenly took her sewing needle and stabbed Luffy in between the eyes. **SLIK!**

"OW! You stabbed me with that needle!" Luffy complained as he held the small bleeding spot on his forehead.

"Well that's the only way I can hurt you!" Nami snapped.

"Hmm… you're right," Luffy agreed.

All through the little spat Ricky had been watching them with amusement and Zoro had been woken up, "Cut out that racket, I can't sleep!" Zoro called out.

"I'm starving," Luffy whined.

"I'm kind of hungry too," Ricky admitted from the top of the sail.

"Hey, share some of your rations with us," Zoro asked Nami.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Nami questioned, "Don't you know anything about seamanship? You don't even have food or water." While Nami continued scolding Zoro, Ricky noticed something in a distance.

"Hey Luffy, do you see that?" Ricky asked the Captain as the pointed off in the direction he'd spotted something in.

"Yeah! I see something!" Luffy exclaimed, now ignoring what Nami was saying.

"… You have to respect the sea. How have you lunk-heads been alive for so long?"

"We manage," Zoro answered Nami, he was the only one that was listening.

"What is it?" Ricky asked, his lack of depth perception once again irritating him.

"It looks like an island," Luffy observed. "Let's check it out!"

"Forget it," Nami told him, having overheard Luffy, "It looks uninhabited. Hold your course."

But Luffy and Ricky still weren't listening and quickly changed course and started sailing towards the island. "COME BACK!"

"Maybe there's someone there that'll join our crew!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Maybe we can find some food," Zoro suggested, "Like Nami said, we're unprepared."

Luffy, Ricky, and Zoro eventually pulled up to the shore of the island, and while Luffy and Ricky quickly hopped out of the boat eager to go exploring (different degrees of eagerness obviously), but Zoro opted to stay in the ship, he needed some more rest. Ricky smirked when he noticed Nami pulling up along side their boat.

"We've found a desert island," Luffy announced to the other two.

"I told you it was uninhabited," Nami reminded Luffy, "You won't find anyone to join your crew here."

"It wouldn't hurt to look around," Ricky suggested. "We could find some food."

"Hey Zoro, get over here!" Luffy called to the swordsman who was still in the boat, but was now fast asleep. "He's asleep!"

"Let him rest," Nami advised, "He's still recovering from his injuries."

"Good thinking," Luffy commented as he turned around and started off towards the forest, "Alright let's go!"

"Go where?" Nami questioned, she stayed where she was and watched Luffy walk off.

"Maybe there are people living in the forest," Luffy pondered out loud.

"People, no. Hungry monsters, maybe," Nami replied.

"In that case, we'll have plenty to eat over the next few days," Ricky said calmly as he put his hands in his pockets and wandered off into the forest. Nami stood there and stared after him, was he serious? She couldn't tell… he always sounded like that. Nami didn't want to be left alone with a sleeping swordsman, so she quickly went after them.

But once the trio entered the forest they were greeted by a strange sight. A strange creature that looked like it was a white dog, except it had the plumage and tail of a rooster. The creature was making strange clucking noises.

"Hey look, it's a chicken!" Luffy pointed out.

"It looks more like a dog than a chicken…" Ricky remarked as he bent down and petted the rooster-dog as it rubbed up against him and licked his hand.

"Hey look, its some kind of weird rabbit!" Luffy called over to the other two as he pulled up a white snake with rabbit ears on its head and a small puffy tail at the end of it.

"Weird is right, but its more like a weird snake then a weird rabbit," Nami corrected him.

"And look at that lion!" Luffy exclaimed as he pointed out a large pink pig with a brown lion's mane.

"Lion! That's some kind of strange breed of pig!" Nami argued.

"There's something weird about this forest," Luffy commented as he and Nami warily glanced around them, they could feel eyes watching them from the darkness.

"Not really, you guys haven't seen the Grand Line," Ricky said in a bored tone. "There's people that can become animals, giants, strange hair-styles, bizarre animals, fishmen, mermen, and monsters. There's nothing like it." Out of the corner of his eye Ricky saw Nami flinch when he said 'fishmen'.

"Wow," Luffy gasped in amazement as he wandered further into the forest. "The Grand Line sounds amazing."

"**DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER!"** a loud voice suddenly shouted.

"Who said that?" questioned Luffy, while he and Nami quickly glanced around them to see who had said it. Ricky just stood there calmly.

"**LEAVE NOW!" **

"Where's that voice coming from?" Nami wondered as she, Luffy, and Ricky stood in a circle and faced away from each other, trying to see who was making the voice.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked out loud.

"**I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST!"**

"The guardian of the forest?" Luffy repeated in confusion.

"**THAT'S RIGHT! IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, YOU'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!"**

"And what'll you do if we don't?" Ricky challenged the voice, his eye quickly narrowed. _"The voice is coming from the trees,"_ he thought quickly,_ "We need to draw them out."_

"**QUIET YOU! ARE YOU PIRATES!"**

"Yes," Luffy answered honestly.

"Why would he ask us that?" Nami whispered to Ricky.

"**SO YOU REALLY ARE PIRATES?"**

"The eye patch and the sword don't answer that for you?" Ricky asked calmly.

"**DO YOU **_**WANT**_** TO DIE? DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP INTO THE FOREST. IF YOU DO YOU'LL HAVE TO FACE **_**THE TRIAL OF THE FOREST**_**!"**

"Who cares!" Luffy said, "Why's he asking us all this anyway?"

"What's going on here?" Nami wondered.

"This guy's a weirdo," Luffy commented.

"**WHAT DID YOU SAY!"**

"Maybe he's over there," Luffy suggested as pointed off in a distance.

"Hmph, the coward's hiding," Ricky stated.

"**THAT DOES IT! I WARNED YOU, BUT NOW YOU ALL MUST FACE **_**THE TRIAL OF THE FOREST**_**!"**

Suddenly they saw bizarre creatures all around them. There was the rabbit-snake, the lion-pig, the rooster-dog, a zebra-ostrich, a hippo-gorilla, a panda-bat, two giraffe-bears, a tiger-elephant, a rhino-kangaroo, two sheep-ducks, and a huge bear-turtle.

"What are these things!" Nami asked, disturbed by the sight of the strange creatures.

"**PREPARE FOR THE TRIAL OF THE FOREST!"**

**CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK! **Wooden boards popped up around the three pirates and wooden spears were sent flying at them **WOOSH! WOOSH!**

**WOMP!** Ricky tackled the navigator to the ground and shielded her body with his as the spears whizzed passed them. Luffy was doing his best to dance and avoid the wooden spears. **WOOSH! WOOSH!**

"WAAAAHH!" **WHUP! WHUP! WHUP!** The spears imbedded in the ground around them.

**CHUNK!** Over head a wooden platform swung to the side and dropped a large collection of boulders from overhead. **CHEEEEEWWW!**

Ricky grabbed Nami and held onto her as he lunged out of the way of the big falling rocks as they came crashing to the ground, **BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! **

**WHUMP!** A large rock smashed into Luffy's head and squashed him, but it slid off his head and landed beside him, leaving him unharmed. "This guy's really pushing his luck…" Luffy grumbled.

**BAM! **A loud gunshot rang out from behind Luffy. **WOING! **The bullet shot Luffy in the back and embedded into him. **FWOOM! **And was then reflected back the way it had come.

"You alright," Ricky asked as he looked at Nami with concern.

"Of course," Nami answered, trying to put up a brave front. "But uh… thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it," Ricky replied, then he turned to Luffy, "Luffy, you alright?"

"I'm fine," said Luffy, "but I don't like being shot at."

"**WHAT… WHAT ARE YOU!"**

"What are _you_?" Luffy countered. Ricky got back up and held a hand down to Nami, but the girl insisted she was fine and got up on her own. Ricky shrugged and glanced around them.

"Hey, look at that thing," Ricky pointed out as he gestured to a small bush on the outer edge of the clearing. The bush appeared to be planted in a treasure chest and there was a pistol on the ground in front of it.

"Look! There's a pistol on the ground!" Nami observed, having finally recovered enough to think.

"What's this?" Luffy asked as they walked over to the bush to investigate.

"It looks suspicious," Nami commented as Ricky crouched down in front of the bush.

Ricky stared hard at the bush for a moment then a sly grin appeared on his face, "Let's light it on fire."

Suddenly the bush started moving, in fact it was running. Apparently it was afraid of being set on fire. But in its haste to get away, the bush tripped and fell down on its… face?

"Gotcha," said Ricky, his grin faded and his expression returned to the usual indifferent one he usually wore.

"HEY, HELP ME UP!" the bush screamed.

"It's a person!" Nami realized once she, Luffy, and Ricky reached it.

"HELP ME UP!" the bush/person yelled again.

"Hm, he's still making demands," said Ricky, making no move to help him up.

The bush was a person with long green hair and an equally long green beard. It appeared that he hadn't shaved or had a haircut in years. His body was seemingly stuck in the treasure chest with his feet sticking out of the bottom and his hands poking out of the top.

"He looks like a shrub," Luffy commented.

**-x-**

A little while later Luffy had eventually helped the shrub-man up and explained to him that he was made of rubber, and that was why the bullet hadn't worked on him. Ricky was lying on his back staring up at the clouds through the trees.

"The Gum Gum Fruit? Isn't that one of the Devil Fruit?" questioned Gaimon the bush-man and guardian of the island. He came up to Ricky's chest which meant he was about four feet from the top of his huge green afro-like hair, a large wild-looking beard, dark skin, and a mono-brow. "This is the first time I've ever met someone who's eaten one of those fruit."

"And this is the first time I've met a person stuck in a treasure chest," replied Luffy, "Are you a 'boxer'?" Luffy's little joke caused Ricky to groan.

"Well when I was younger…" Gaimon started answering, "HEY! THAT WAS A STUPID JOKE!"

"I'm stuck and I can't get out," Gaimon continued, "I've been alone on this island for twenty years! You can't imagine how miserable I've been!"

"Twenty years? You've been all alone?" Nami questioned.

"That's right, twenty years, it's been a long time," Gaimon said. "That's why my beard and hair are this long. I used to have TWO eyebrows! I haven't had a conversation with anyone in all that time!"

Luffy suddenly rushed over to Gaimon and started pulling on him in an attempt to yank him out of the box his was trapped in.

"OUCH! WHAT'RE YOU DOING!" Gaimon yelled.

"You're stuck," Luffy stated as he continued in his attempts of freeing Gaimon.

"STOP! YOU'LL BREAK MY NECK!" protested Gaimon causing Luffy to stop pulling. "Don't be reckless! I haven't had any exercise in all these years! By now my body has changed to the shape of this box. I can't get out, and if you break the box, you'll break me with it!"

"But how did you get into it in the first place?" asked Nami.

Gaimon didn't speak for a moment, but eventually he asked, "You said you were a pirate right?"

"That's right, but so far I only have a crew of four," Luffy answered.

"Well I used to be a pirate too," said Gaimon, "Risking my life in the pursuit of treasure! It was great!"

"It's fun, huh?" Luffy questioned as he pulled out the chart of the Grand Line.

"Of course," Ricky commented as he sat up and finally joined the conversation. "That's why I used to be a Treasure Hunter. One of my favorite things in the world is going on adventures and finding strange treasures that no one's ever heard of."

"Do you guys have a treasure map?" Gaimon asked.

"I've got a chart of the Grand Line!" Luffy replied with a smile. "We're going after One Piece!"

"The One Piece?" Gaimon repeated, "You're not seriously thinking of entering the Grand Line!"

"Of course we are," Ricky answered as he laid back on the ground, "Luffy wants to become King of the Pirates. To do that we need to find One Piece, the greatest treasure there is. I'm going to find it for him and we can both accomplish our dreams."

"Where is this Grand Line anyway?" Gaimon asked as he looked over the map with Luffy.

"I don't know, can you tell me where it is Mr. Shrub?" Luffy questioned.

"I can't read charts!" Gaimon answered.

"You can't?" Luffy replied, sounding surprised.

"How can they call themselves pirates?" Nami asked mostly herself. Ricky's only reply was an indifferent shrug. So Nami decided to take matters into her own hands. "Okay look!" snapped Nami, "You know where the Red Line is right?"

"Yeah it's the strip of land that divides the oceans," Gaimon answered.

"That's right," Nami said, "The world has two oceans and the strip of land that divides the two seas called the Red Line, making four different oceans, the East Blue, the North Blue, the South Blue, and the West Blue. There's a sea route that goes through the Red Line and around the world. That's the Grand Line. They say it is the most dangerous sea route. Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, was known for being the only one to conquer it."

"Hmm… if the One Piece is somewhere along that line, then all we have to do is sail around the world," Luffy reasoned.

"DON'T BE DENSE! IT'S NOT SO EASY!" Gaimon snapped, "the Grand Line is called _the Pirate's Graveyard_. I've seen pirates who've managed to make it back from that voyage… hey're broken men, almost zombies. You can tell just by looking at them…whether pirates or monsters… they've seen horrible things! THE GRAND LINE IS A PLACE OF HORRORS!"

"_Only some times,"_ Ricky thought to himself.

"To find One Piece and come back alive is almost impossible," Gaimon continued. "It's hard to tell truth from rumor, it's been twenty some-odd years since the Age of Pirates started, and no one's gotten that legendary treasure yet. Going after the One Piece is a fool's dream!"

"And that's why all those pirates came back empty handed," Ricky suddenly said as he sat up again, he actually sounded passionate about something. "They gave up looking for it, and the terrors of the Grand Line came down on them full force. The One Piece is the Ultimate Treasure and I'm gonna find it or die trying. I spent the majority of the last two years on the Grand Line, I didn't find One Piece, but the pirate crew I was on at the time was the closest anyone other than Gold Roger has ever gotten to it."

"Well, I think we'll find it," Luffy replied confidently.

"Give it up," Nami said as she turned to Ricky, "There are plenty of other treasures to be had, why get ourselves killed?"

"Because the One Piece is _the_ treasure," Ricky explained, "If I can find it, I'll be known as the Ultimate Treasure Hunter. And Luffy will be known as the King of the Pirates. I'm not scared of the Grand Line, and I'm not scared of dying for my dream."

"We'll find it," Luffy assured them, he sounded confident. He wasn't going to let anything stop him from achieving his dream. "I'm very lucky."

"I don't know where your confidence comes from," Nami grumbled.

"Luffy," Ricky said, "Just remember, you'll need all the hope and luck you can get to stay alive in the Grand Line. Anything can happen there, but it isn't over until you've completely given up. You need to keep hope alive and follow your dreams. Then who knows, maybe you'll end up enjoying your time there. I did for the most part."

Suddenly Gaimon spoke up, "I'll tell you why I haven't left this island," said the former pirate, "It's just like One Eye said. Hope. I still have hope."

"What do you have hope about?" Luffy asked.

"Twenty years ago…" Gaimon began, "I was a pirate when I came to this island. We'd heard there was a treasure here…"

Gaimon and the rest of his pirate crew had arrived on the island twenty years ago. They all split up and searched the island but all they managed to find were some strange animals and some empty treasure chests in front of a cliff where the Captain had been standing. They couldn't find the treasure.

But then Gaimon got an idea, he noticed that the Captain had been standing _in front_ of the cliff the whole day, but no one had bothered to check _on top_ of it. Taking matters into his own hands Gaimon started his climb up the cliff, it was hard work but he eventually made it and his hard work appeared to have paid off, on top of the cliff were five treasure chests.

Gaimon was about to open the chests and check to see the treasure, but then he noticed that his crew was leaving. He turned around and attempted to run after them, not wanting to be left alone on the island even though he had found the treasure. But Gaimon wasn't thinking and ran off the edge of the cliff, he fell and ended up landing in one of the empty treasure chests that were at the bottom of the cliff. Gaimon struggled to get out but found that he was stuck, he managed to break a hole through the bottom and got his feet out then ran after his crew, but by the time he made it to the shore they had already sailed off.

Gaimon was stuck in the chest for the next twenty years, his hair grew and his beard crew. Pirates came, but he didn't want any of them finding the treasure at the top of the cliff so he scared them off. In the end, he was stuck on the island for twenty years guarding a treasure that he couldn't reach.

"You see, all that treasure on the cliff," Gaimon concluded, "I can't bring myself to part with it. If only I wasn't stuck in this chest! ALL THIS TIME I'VE BEEN PROTECTING THIS TREASURE! ITS MINE, ALL MINE!"

"You're absolutely right," Luffy agreed, "It's rightfully yours."

"Gaimon, I'll go up there and get that treasure for you," Nami volunteered.

"Really?" Gaimon asked, "That would be great! I'm glad I told you my story."

"But you're a pirate AND a thief," Luffy commented.

"SHUT UP! I'M A THIEF BUT I'M NOT HEARTLESS!"

"Hmph, yeah right," Ricky muttered. Nami glared at him then they followed Gaimon who led them over to the cliff the treasure was on top of.

**-x-**

**Gaimon's Treasure:**

**-x-**

"Here we are, this is it," Gaimon announced to the others once they arrived at the cliff, "I haven't been here in a while."

"Why didn't you tell anybody else you story?" Luffy asked, "Like you told us." If he had, maybe Gaimon wouldn't still be here.

"I've never trusted anybody else," Gaimon explained, "Besides, none of the others really tried to talk to me. THE TREASURE IS SO CLOSE! FINALLY! TODAY IS THE DAY!"

"Luffy do your stuff," Nami instructed.

"You want _me_ to do it?" Luffy asked.

"I can't climb a cliff this steep," Nami said before she pointed to Ricky who was calmly sitting against a tree, "And he's back to being lazy!"

"I'm counting on you Straw-Hat boy!" Gaimon confided in Luffy.

"Okay," Luffy agreed. **BREEEN!** Luffy stretched his arm upward and grabbed onto the edge of the cliff. "GUM… GUM… ROCKET!" **SPROING! **Luffy's arm retracted causing him to shoot up into the air and over the top of the cliff, he dropped down and landed lightly on the top of it.

"WOW HE DID IT!" Gaimon exclaimed.

"I see them!" Luffy called down from the top, "Five treasure chests!"

"THROW 'EM DOWN HERE!" Gaimon called up to Luffy in delight, "BUT DON'T DROP THEM ON US!"

"**No."**

Gaimon looked confused, while Nami on the other hand was angry, "LUFFY, ARE YOU INSANE! STOP JOKING AROUND AND THROW 'EM DOWN HERE!"

"Forget it!" Luffy called down to them, "I don't want to!"

"DARN IT LUFFY!" Nami snapped.

"It's okay," said Gaimon, "He doesn't want to do it."

"How can you say that?" Nami demanded, "It's _YOUR _treasure!"

Gaimon had tears in his eyes as he spoke, "Straw-Hat boy… you're… you're a good kid."

"What!" Nami questioned.

"I suspected this was the case," Gaimon admitted , "I had my fears… but I didn't want to believe it."

"They're empty," Ricky stated sounding bored.

"Huh!" said a startled Nami.

"Yep," Luffy answered, "They're all empty."

"It happens all the time… with treasure maps…" Gaimon sobbed , "You get your hands on a treasure map and someone's already taken the loot."

"But you've guarded them for twenty years," Nami sympathized as she glanced at the crying shrub-man, "and they were empty." Nami turned to Ricky who was still leaning against the tree, completely unaffected by the fact that their new friend had been on the island for twenty years protecting a treasure that wasn't there. "Can't you even be a _little_ sympathetic?" she demanded.

"Why?" Ricky asked. "It's just like he said, it happens all the time. That's why I'm going after One Piece. No one's found it yet and if someone did, we'd know because they'd be the new King of the Pirates."

"So you spent twenty years here, guarding a treasure that wasn't there?" Nami questioned.

"Who said it isn't here?" Ricky suddenly asked.

"You did," Nami answered. "You said the chests were empty and then Luffy confirmed it."

"I never said the treasure wasn't here," Ricky pointed out as he slowly stood up and walked over to the side of the cliff.

"What are you talking about?" Gaimon asked.

"Think for a second," Ricky instructed as he stared at the cliff in front of him. "The pirates who hid their treasure here had chests _on top_ of the cliff, and shrub-guy fell off of the cliff and landed in one of the treasure chests that had been found _around_ the cliffs. What if those chests were _planted _there to keep pirates, thieves, and treasure hunters from finding the real treasure?"

"But if the treasure isn't on top of the cliff, or around it where else could it be?" asked Nami.

A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face as he walked over to a bush that was up against the side of the cliff. **SHHHUNK!** With one hard yank Ricky pulled the bush out of the ground, revealing an opening in the side of the cliff. "How about _inside_ it?" Ricky suggested.

"That cave?" Gaimon questioned. "I always just assumed it was some creature's home."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll search the cave for you," Ricky offered.

"Why can't you just go in now?" Nami asked.

"Do you want me to get killed?" Rick inquired. Nami looked like she was about to answer but Ricky cut her off. "Don't answer that. I'm not stupid enough to blindly crawl into a dark cave. It could be filled with traps. Give me a few minutes and then I'll be ready to find your treasure."

"Hey, can I come down now?" Luffy asked causing both Nami and Gaimon to sweat-drop.

"Actually Luffy," Ricky called up to him, "bring down two of those empty chests with you. If I find something, we'll need something to put it in." With that, Ricky turned and walked off into the forest.

**-x-**

Ten minutes later, Luffy, Nami, and Gaimon were sitting around the opening trying to see inside. But it was pitch black inside and they couldn't see anything. Off to the side, were two empty treasure chests that Luffy had brought down from the top of the cliff with him.

"I've got an idea!" Luffy announced as he stretched his arm out and into the opening.

"What are you doing?" Nami questioned.

"I'm reaching into the cave so I can grab the treasure," Luffy answered.

"But what if it's some animal's home and it attacks your arm for intruding on its lair?" Gaimon asked. "Some of the critters on this island can be possessive of their territory."

"**That's what I was worried about,"** came Ricky's voice. Luffy, Nami, and Gaimon all turned and saw Ricky walking over carrying a pair of sticks and a rock and saw that he was being followed by the rooster-dog from before.

"You spent all that time trying to find a pair of sticks and a rock?" Nami demanded.

Ricky just shook his head and walked up to the side of the cliff and smashed the rock against it, sparks were created from the stone-on-stone contact and they fell on the end of one of the sticks that Ricky was holding with his other hand. The sparks caused the end of the stick to catch fire and when the flames were large enough Ricky turned to face the others and held up the flaming stick, "I dipped them in some booze I found back on our ship, now I have a torch and I'll be able to see. Luffy, would you mind getting your hand out of the hole?"

"Okay," Luffy complied. **FWUP!** Luffy's rubber arm quickly retracted and came out of the cave. "I didn't find anything, it goes very deep. What's with the chicken?"

"Hm… the pirates probably tunneled into the middle of the cliff," Ricky reasoned.

"But what if there's no treasure and just animals?" Gaimon asked.

"That's why I have Chuck here," Ricky replied as he pointed to the rooster-dog, "Chuck, do your stuff."

"CLU-CLUCK!" said the rooster-dog as it approached the opening of the cave and slowly went in. Ricky moved his torch and held it into the opening, giving the rooster-dog some light.

"And now we wait," Ricky prompted as he sat down beside the opening of the cave but kept the light shining into it.

"Who names a creature that's half rooster and half dog 'Chuck'?" Nami questioned.

"It was the first thing I could think of," Ricky answered with a shrug.

"You kids are amazing," Gaimon remarked. "I've been here for twenty years and I've never been this close to finding the treasure. First you check on top of the cliff where I've never been able to reach, and now you're checking inside of it, I can't believe this. It's a dream come true."

"Have you ever thought of what you're going to do with the treasure when you get it?" Nami asked.

"Uh… well… no," Gaimon admitted sheepishly.

"If it's really big, maybe you could buy a life time supply of meat!" Luffy suggested.

"Meat spoils, you idiot!" Nami snapped. "Why would he buy it all at once like that?"

"Hmm… you're right," Luffy commented.

"But come to think of it," Nami said as she turned to Ricky. "Say you do manage to find One Piece, and Luffy becomes King of the Pirates, what would you guys do with it?"

"Its more about the recognition of _finding _the Ultimate Treasure than using it," Ricky explained. "When I find One Piece, I'll be the only one who's ever managed to find it and since Luffy's the Captain he'll become King of the Pirates."

"**AAAH-OOO!**" came the crow of the rooster-dog from in the cave, Ricky glanced inside and pushed the light in deeper and eventually Chuck then rooster-dog came back out, seemingly unharmed.

"Find anything?" Ricky asked.

"Cluck," Chuck answered with a shake of its head.

"Chuck says nothing lives there," Ricky told the others, "now it's my turn." Ricky took his torch which was still burning and put the non-lit end in his mouth, then turned and started crawling into the cave.

"Good luck Ricky!" Luffy called after his First Mate. Eventually Ricky's steel-bottomed boots disappeared and so did any light coming out of the cave from Ricky's torch.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"I'm bored," Luffy complained.

"I'm just as anxious as you are, maybe even more," said Gaimon. "He could find the treasure that I've been here for so long protecting."

"Come to think of it," Nami commented. "What were you planning on doing if there actually was treasure in the chests up top, but you still couldn't get them? Would you just keep on protecting them until you eventually died here on the island?"

"I don't know," Gaimon admitted, "I guess."

"That sounds kind of selfish," Nami pointed out. "If you couldn't have the treasure, then no one could?"

"You look really confused Mr. Shrub!" Luffy noted. Things quieted down and the three of them, as well as Chuck the rooster-dog all waited by the opening of the cave, listening for any signs from Ricky. "I'm gonna go for a walk," Luffy suddenly announced.

"What? Why?" asked Nami.

"All this sitting around is boring," Luffy answered. "I'm gonna go see if I can find anything to eat."

"You kids need food?" Gaimon questioned.

"Well, it would be nice," Nami commented. "We don't have very much."

"I know where you can get some fruit," said Gaimon. "I'll show you if you want. It's the least I can do for all you kids are doing for me."

"Sounds good," Luffy agreed as he got up.

"But what about Ricky?" Nami asked. "We can't just leave while he's still in the cave. Nothing against _Chuck_ but we need to have someone here when he comes back."

"Good idea," Luffy replied. "Thanks for volunteering Nami, Mr. Shrub and I will go find some food, and you can wait here for Ricky."

"I didn't vol—" Nami started to say but Luffy and Gaimon had already left. Nami glanced beside her and saw she was alone, except for the rooster-dog. "I guess it's just you and me."

"Cluck!"

"I don't understand how he understands you," Nami commented to Chuck.

"Clu-Cluck," said Chuck, he sounded like he agreed with her or something.

"**Eyer oo ee,"** came Ricky's voice from inside the cave beside Nami.

"What did you say?" Nami asked as Ricky came crawling out from the cave, with the torch in his mouth. The flame was dying down a bit, but then Nami remembered the other stick that Ricky had brought with him. Ricky had apparently planned ahead and brought another stick in case he needed to go into the cave multiple times.

Ricky stayed halfway in the cave and took the torch out of his mouth, "I said, 'neither do we'," explained Ricky. "Where did Luffy and the shrub-guy go?"

"They went to find food," Nami informed him. "Did you find anything?"

Ricky paused for a few seconds and pulled himself the rest of the way out of the cave, then grinned slyly at Nami, "Wanna see?"

Nami's face lit up, "You found treasure? Sure!" she replied instantly.

"Do you want to go now, or should we wait for them?" Ricky asked.

"Now's good!"

Ricky nodded then took his torch and extinguished it on the ground then got the rock and other stick and quickly lit up another one. "The cave is pretty narrow, but widens out near the end. The best course of action would be for you to follow me in."

"Okay, you're the Treasure Hunter," Nami replied eagerly. "If you think it'll work then that's what we'll do."

"Chuck," Ricky said as he gestured to the rooster-dog and pointed at the cave.

"Cluck," Chuck replied then he turned and entered the cave.

Ricky turned to Nami and shrugged then put the torch in his mouth and crawled into the cave, following after the rooster-dog. Nami waited a second, for him to be completely inside the cave, then dropped down and crawled into the cave after him. The cave was really dark, and all Nami could see were Ricky's feet moving in front of her, but that was due to the torch he was carrying in his mouth. Nami was pretty sure that if they didn't have a torch, it would be pitch black and she wouldn't be able to see anything.

Nami followed after Ricky through the cave for a while, she lost track of the time. She had attempted to ask him what he had found on multiple occasions, but due to the torch in his mouth, she couldn't understand what he was saying. But thanks to the light coming from around Ricky, she eventually noticed that the cave was getting wider. Nami sped up and crawled faster so she was moving beside Ricky, but made sure that she approached on the side where he could actually see her coming due to actually having an eye on that side of his face.

"Are we almost there?" Nami asked.

"Uh huh," Ricky replied with a nod she could barely see. After crawling alongside Ricky for a while longer they eventually came across an opening which appeared to lead into some sort of chamber. Nami watched as Chuck the rooster-dog walked in as if it was nothing, so Nami had no problem following Ricky inside as well. She made it into the chamber and dusted herself off then took note of their surroundings. The chamber was rather small, but there was enough room for her, Ricky, Chuck, and probably another couple people. When she glanced up, she saw that the ceiling of the chamber was just a little above Ricky's head.

Ricky grinned at Nami and offered her the torch, she took it and eagerly shined it into the middle of the chamber and found… a treasure chest. Nami noticed that the lock on the chest had been removed so she knelt down and opened it, then shined the torch inside and found… two dozen bottles of rum.

"That's it?" Nami asked sounding disappointed. She stood up and whirled around to face Ricky. "Are you telling me that these pirates planted fake chests on top of a cliff, at the bottom of a cliff, and then dug a hidden tunnel into a cave, and I just crawled for who knows how long through that cave for TWENTY-FOUR BOTTLES OF BOOZE!"

"Liquor does get better with age," Ricky pointed out, his hands were in his pockets.

Nami stormed over to Ricky and shoved him backwards into wall behind him, not noticing that he dropped down about three inches. He was still taller than her. "You said there was treasure!"

"There is."

"What do I look like, an old drunk!" Nami exclaimed. "Booze isn't my idea of a treasure! Treasure sparkles and you can buy things with it."

"You could trade it."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BOOZE!" Nami yelled as she glared angrily at Ricky.

"**Grrrrrrrrr…"** Nami jumped slightly and shined the light down by her legs to see Chuck growling at her. Apparently he didn't like Nami yelling at Ricky.

Nami raised the torch and shined it on Ricky's face, her glare intensified when she saw the sly grin on his face. "You know something."

"Of course, I was just hoping you'd be able to piece everything together."

"I don't want to waste my time piecing anything together! If there's a treasure, show it to me, or I'll castrate you!"

Ricky flinched and Nami smiled seeing that her threat had the desired result. "Fine, you don't have to be a bitch about it." Ricky reached out and took the torch from Nami and stepped out of whatever he was standing in to return to his full height, then went over to the chest followed closely by Nami and Chuck.

Ricky reached into the chest and pulled out one of the rum bottles and had Nami hold the torch while he pulled out the stopper with his teeth. "This is no time for a drink!" Nami snapped, "is there a treasure, or isn't there?"

"There is. But you know, for someone who the treasure doesn't even belong to, you seem awfully excited about it. Was that the point of your question from earlier?"

Nami just glared at him and didn't answer, Ricky shrugged then moved Nami's hand so she was holding the torch over the chest and pulled out another bottle while carefully putting the opened one on the ground. Ricky offered another bottle to Chuck who bit down on the top of the stopper and pulled, removing it from the bottle.

"Good job," Ricky praised as he put that bottle down next to the other one.

"Cluck," Chuck replied after he dropped the stopper on the ground.

Ricky and Chuck worked together and opened another ten of the rum bottles, ignoring the curious looks that Nami was giving them. But that was probably due to the fact that they couldn't see her. "Okay, what are you doing?" Nami asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Get those for me?" Ricky requested as he picked up eight bottles and moved them to the side of the chamber. Nami watched as Chuck carried another one in his mouth, so she took the final three and placed them next to Ricky, who was crouched down in front of the wall. Nami continued to shine the light as Ricky began pouring out the rum. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he was pouring the rum into a trench at the base of the chamber walls. Nami shined the light while Ricky went all around the chamber and emptied the dozen rum bottles into the trench. The trench went around the entire chamber, with the only exception being the small part in front of the opening in the wall that they had come through.

"So you're pouring the booze into trenches that are on the ground. I still don't get it."

"The rum is here for a reason."

"And why's that?" Nami asked as Ricky reached out and pulled the torch away from her, she briefly saw a sly grin on his face.

"It burns." Ricky dropped the torch into the trench and the lit torch met the rum that was pooled at the bottom of the trench. Bright flames shot up out of the trench and followed the trail of rum all the way around the trench. The fire glowed and lit up the room causing the walls to start to sparkle in different colors.

**KA-CHING!** Nami's eyes swirled around and resembled a pair of berri signs.

There were countless gems imbedded in the walls of the chamber, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethyst crystals, and quartz all sparkled as they reflected the light from the fire. "Gems!" Nami smiled and clapped her hands, amazed at what they – well, Ricky – had found. She managed to tear her attention away from the sparkling cavern walls and noticed Ricky and Chuck standing together behind her, the former had a slightly amused expression on his face and was watching Nami with interest while the latter was making soft clucking sounds while glancing around at the glowing gems in the walls.

"The gems were here and embedded into the walls the whole time, but couldn't be seen since it was so dark in here," explained Ricky as he slowly walked over to Nami. "Most people would be ticked off at only finding booze here that they wouldn't even bother searching the cave properly. I used the rum and the trenches that were obviously provided to shed some light on the situation."

"I would have never figured that out. I bet countless other pirates wouldn't have either. You're amazing." Nami smiled at the pirate with a new found respect, he really was a treasure hunter.

"Like you said, countless other pirates would never have found the treasure here. The pirates who hid it used as many tricks as they could. But they didn't expect 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire to show up."

"That sounds a little cocky."

"It may be. But in case you couldn't tell from the gems sparkling in the walls around you, I can back it up."

"**HEY YOU GUYS!"** came a loud voice. **"RICKY! NAMI! CHICKEN! ARE YOU IN THERE!"**

Ricky and Nami turned their attention to the opening of the chamber and saw a rubber hand slowly enter and feel around for something. Ricky walked over and grabbed the hand then gave it two tugs, then held onto it. **…oooooiiiINNNNNGGGG! KRASH!** Luffy came flying through the hole in the wall carrying Gaimon and Ricky stepped out of the way, causing the rubber man and the shrub man to go crashing into the floor of the cavern.

"Ow!" Luffy complained as he pulled himself back. "WOW!" The complaining changed to astonishment when Luffy noticed all of the gems embedded in the chamber walls. On the ground next to him, Gaimon was in tears.

"You did it, kid!" Gaimon cried in joy. "You found the treasure!"

Ricky just shrugged and put his hands back in his pockets. "Now all we have to do is dig them out of the walls."

"How are we gonna do that?" Nami asked. "We didn't bring any shovels or picks axes with us."

"Do I have to do everything?"

"I'm stuck in this box," Gaimon pointed out. "I wouldn't be able to reach the walls of the cave without being burned."

"And I'm not stepping in fire to get the gems," Nami stated. "I'm wearing sandals."

"Don't worry, I'll do it Mr. Shrub," Luffy volunteered, he stretched out his arm and grabbed one of the embedded rubies. With a big yank he managed to pull the gem out from the wall.

"Never mind," Ricky grumbled as he got back up to his feet. "That'll take too long. Luffy, let's trade shoes."

"Huh, why?" Luffy asked as he watched Ricky take off his boots and stood barefoot in the cavern.

Ricky held up one of his boots and pointed to the steel on the bottom, "With your strength and this steel, you'll be able to create a bigger impact," Ricky explained. "Use a Gum Gum Stamp on the walls to knock the gems loose, then fish them out of the fire. I'll take your sandals and got back outside and get the chests so we have something to put them in."

"I guess that makes sense," Luffy reasonedy, he handed over his sandals to Ricky, who quickly slipped them on while Luffy put on Ricky's boots. Due to Luffy's feet being stretchy and rubber and Luffy's sandals being open-toed, the switched footwear fit well enough.

"I'll be back," Ricky told them as he slipped into the tunnel, "don't overdo it."

With Ricky gone, Luffy pulled back his steel encased foot and drove it into the wall of the cavern, "GUM… GUM… STAMP!" **SMASH!** Luffy's foot smashed the wall with such force and strength that the rock shattered, causing the gems to come loose and drop into the burning trench.

"BE MORE CAREFUL!" Nami scolded, "YOU'LL CAUSE A CAVE IN!"

Luffy shrugged and attempt to fish the gems out of the fire filled trench, "OOOWWW! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!" Luffy threw the gems he'd fished out across the room and waved his hand around.

This continued until Ricky returned with two treasure chests, somehow he had made it back without a torch. Nami, Gaimon, and Chuck quickly busied themselves placing the gems that Luffy had knocked loose into the chests, while fished out the one's Luffy had missed, leaving Luffy to smash the rest of the gems out of the wall. There were a lot of gems, but they were all very small, all of them easily fit in the two chests and while the treasure hadn't taken up as much room as some of them had hoped, it was probably still worth a lot. Ricky guessed seven million berries, and was probably right.

Eventually, Luffy, Ricky, Nami, Gaimon, and Chuck had gotten out of the cave with the two… three chests. They brought the left over rum because Ricky didn't see the point in wasting perfectly good liquor, this earned him a bop on the head from Nami.

"I can't thank you kids enough," Gaimon eventually said as he stared at the three treasure chests. "If you hadn't come along and I hadn't told you about the treasure, I'd have never lived to see it."

"You've got that right Mr. Shrub," Luffy agreed. "Another thirty years and your whole life would've passed you by."

"I know," said Gaimon. "That's why I want you kids to take half of the treasure."

"Huh?" asked Ricky with a raised eyebrow.

"One Eye, you found the treasure for me," Gaimon explained. "You deserve at least part of it."

"Well if you insis—" Nami started but was interrupted by Ricky.

"No. The treasure's yours. You spent twenty years here guarding it. I'm not going to take it from you. I just like finding 'em, I really have nothing to do with it."

"Are you crazy?" Nami demanded, but was ignored.

"I would've never even found the treasure if you guys hadn't come here," Gaimon reminded him.

"I've got an idea," Luffy offered. "Mr. Shrub, you can join our crew. Then the treasure will belong to all of us and we don't have to worry about it."

Gaimon was silent for a moment, considering Luffy's offer. "That sounds great kid, but I can't join your crew. I've been on this island for so long, that I don't think I can leave it. All the strange animals here need me to protect them. Even if I did get the treasure, I still need to be the Guardian of the Forest."

"You're sort of an exotic animal yourself," Luffy pointed out.

"HEY WATCH IT!" Gaimon shouted but then paused and calmed down. "I really don't have anything to do with the treasure, I'll probably end up trading some of it with pirates that come through here. And now at least I can enjoy my life on the island."

"I'll tell you what," Ricky suggested. "You can keep the left over rum, and one of the treasure chests. We'll take the other chest and put three million berries worth of treasure in it."

"That's fair," Gaimon agreed.

Ricky nodded and grinned slightly, "I'm glad we could come to a reasonable compromise."

**-x-**

After the Straw Hats had stashed Gaimon's treasure somewhere for him, and Luffy and Ricky had traded their shoes back, they loaded their part onto the boat, along with a lot of fruit that Luffy and Gaimon had gathered.

"I can't thank you kids enough," said Gaimon as he and a bunch of strange animals were standing with him to see the Straw Hats off. After saying goodbye to Chuck, Ricky climbed into the boat and sat down next to Zoro, who had slept through the whole adventure. "Go find your crew and find the One Piece," continued Gaimon. "If anyone can do it, you kids can. Make the world your oyster and make your dreams come true."

"Thanks we will," Luffy answered, "See ya!"

Luffy and Nami climbed back into their ships and the Straw Hats sailed off, leaving Gaimon on his island. They had found his treasure and now they could continue their voyage to the Grand Line.

**-x-**

In that chapter you learned a little bit more about Ricky, how his dream is to _find_ One Piece and how he is just as determined to fulfill his dream as Luffy and Zoro are about theirs. Ricky is a Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire, he searches the seas for valuable treasures and he's good at what he does. But as you can tell, Ricky has an odd habit of giving away the treasure he's found, which works out because his dream is basically finding the One Piece for his Captain.

Also, I've posted a link to a picture of Ricky on my profile page, just in case anyone can't picture what he looks like.

Next chapter, the Straw Hats meet the Dreaded Captain Usopp.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	13. Chapter 12

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**The Dreaded Captain Usopp**

**---x---**

The four-person Straw Hat Pirate Crew continued sailing onward in their two little boats. "You're too reckless," Nami scolded Luffy, breaking the silence.

"Listen Nami," Ricky said to Nami, he was taking a break from cloud watching and was in the bottom of one of the boats splitting three million berries worth of gems that they had found on Gaimon's island. "That's the way Luffy is and always has been. He runs into things full speed with no preparation. Either let him do it alone or hang on for a wild ride."

"Well we can't sail to the Grand Line like this!" pointed out Nami.

"You're right," agreed Luffy, who was sitting up on the bowsprit eating an apple. He liked to see where they were going. "That shrub-man gave us a lot of fruit, but we need meat to keep our strength up." Apparently Luffy didn't quite understand what Nami was talking about.

"I'm not talking about food!" snapped Nami.

"She's right, me need some grog too," said Zoro.

"I'm not talking about booze either!" yelled Nami, alright, neither of them understood.

"I think you were more useful when you were asleep," commented Ricky.

"We're heading for the Grand Line," Nami explained to Luffy and Zoro, "The most dangerous sea route in the world! We'll need more than beer and meat to survive there. Don't forget, the most successful pirates are after One Piece too. Their ships are way better than this."

"And we don't have a crew," added Luffy.

"We don't have a crew, we don't have any equipment, or even a real ship for that matter!" pointed out Nami. "There's no way we'll ever make it like this."

"Yup," agreed Luffy, "we'll need a cook or maybe a musician to keep us entertained."

"A musician?" repeated Zoro. "Heh heh!"

"Why am I sailing with these idiots?" Nami asked herself.

"Because you lost a bet and you want the treasure," answered Ricky as he finished sorting the treasure and returned the chest to Nami's boat, "I took about 500,000 berries, the rest is all yours."

"Sounds fair to me to me," agreed Nami with a smile, she wasn't about to question why he gave her five times what he kept for himself. She pulled out a sea chart and quickly changed the subject before he could change his mind, "A little bit south from here is an island with some settlements on it. And it looks like we might be able to get our ship and some of the supplies we need there."

"FRESH MEAT AT LAST!" cheered Luffy.

"And lot's of booze as well," added Zoro.

"IS THAT ALL YOU THINK ABOUT!?" demanded Nami.

**---x---**

A little while away on nearby island, a boy of seventeen was standing on the outskirts of Syrup Village and was looking out at the sea. This boy's name was Usopp and he was known by all of the villagers. He had tanned skin, a long Pinocchio-style nose, and curly black hair that made him look like an armadillo. He had greenish bandana tied on his head over his black hair and was wearing brown overalls, brown shoes, had a white sash around his waist, and also had a bag with a lot of supplies stuffed in it. "Ah a new day," Usopp said to himself, "The sun shines bright on a cheerful sea."

Usopp took a deep breath then started screaming at the top of his lungs and sprinted towards Syrup village, "WE'RE DOOMED! PIRATES ARE COMING!" yelled Usopp. "THEY'RE ATTACKING THE VILLAGE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Usopp ran passed the small houses of the townspeople. Some of the responses made it seem like this was a routine thing.

"What? Pirates!"

"There's Usopp's morning commotion. I'd better get to work."

"He's at it again."

But just as suddenly as he'd started, Usopp stopped screaming and stood still in the middle of the road… before he burst out laughing, "AHAHAHA! JUST KIDDING!" He certainly earned his long nose with all his false tales about pirates.

**WONK! **Usopp's laughter stopped when a pan hit him in the back of the head. "You lying brat!" shouted a villager, "I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

"Here they come," Usopp said to himself, before turning around and running away from the mob of villagers that was coming after him.

"Come back here you liar!" shouted someone in the mob.

"Catch me if you can!" Usopp called over his shoulder as he picked up speed and kept on running. Usopp kept running until he eventually lost the villagers.

"Darn he got away!

"That yahoo is always causing trouble!"

"Where'd he go?"

Meanwhile, resting on a tree branch overhead, Usopp was having a good laugh over the commotion he'd caused in the quiet little town. "Ahaha, I did it again," Usopp congratulated himself, "Just another jolt of excitement to liven up this boring little town.

"**There he is!"** came a sudden shout from the road. Usopp had been spotted.

But once Usopp saw who it was, he calmed down, "Hey you guys!" Usopp called down to the two kids that had spotted him.

"Hey Captain Usopp!" a green haired boy with a head that looked like a pepper called up to Usopp. This boy's name fitted his head, it was Pepper, he wore a blue shorts, a blue sash, and a green t-shirt depicting an open-mouthed Jolly Roger, the symbol of the Usopp Pirate Crew.

"Good morning sir," chimed in the other boy, his violet hair was covered with an orange bandana which also depicted the mark of the Usopp Pirate Crew. He wore a black sweatshirt, orange pants, and a brown sash. His head was in the shape of a carrot and that's why the others all called him Carrot, "Your pirate crew is reporting for duty."

"Pepper, Carrot," Usopp greeted the two boys once he got down out of his tree, "just the two of you, where's Onion?"

"Still sleeping I guess," answered Carrot uncertainly.

"Yeah that's probably it," agreed Pepper.

"That boy," Usopp sighed to himself, but suddenly the three of them heard screams. They turned around and saw a small round-headed boy, with glasses and blond hair running their way screaming at the top of his lungs. His name was Onion and he wore a blue vest with a yellow t-shirt on underneath, brown shorts, and a yellow sash around his waist like the other members of the Usopp Pirate Crew.

"WE'RE DOOMED!" shouted Onion, "THE PIRATES ARE COMING!"

"Hey! Get your own material!" complained Usopp.

"But… it's… true," panted Onion once he had calmed down a little, "I saw them with my own eyes. A ship flying a skull and cross bones is sailing in front the North."

"YOU LIAR!" snapped Usopp, Carrot, and Pepper. They weren't amused, Usopp had already done the same thing.

"It's true!" protested Onion, "Its sail has the sign of Buggy the Clown!"

"You're _not_ lying!?" questioned Usopp in disbelief.

"It's true, we're all in danger!" warned Onion.

"It's time for my snack!" Usopp suddenly exclaimed before he turned around and prepared to run away.

"Don't run away!" shouted the three vegetable themed pirates.

"I have a medical condition," lied Usopp, "if I don't eat my snack on time I'll croak!"

"LIAR!" all three of the boys shouted together.

"Captain, don't you want to become a real pirate?" questioned Carrot.

"A real pirate wouldn't be scared of other pirates," pointed out Pepper.

"Yeah and there's only four of them!" added Onion.

"Only four?" Usopp repeated in relief, "Then it's not a big ship?"

"No, just two little ones," answered Onion.

"Alright Usopp's Pirate Crew!" exclaimed Usopp, he spun around and appeared a lot braver now that he'd found out there were only four pirates. "Prepare for action! We'll defend our village! Follow me!" Usopp then headed off towards the shore, his three pirates stood in shock for a few seconds, wondering where his confidence had come from, and then followed after him.

**---x---**

On the shore, two small ships pulled up and four pirates climbed out. "Aaahhh," sighed Luffy as he and the rest of the crew stretched after being confined to their small boats for so long.

"It feels good to be on dry land again," commented Zoro as he stretched his arms up above his head.

"There's a village around here somewhere, right Nami?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," answered the navigator, "it looks like a small one though." There were no houses or buildings in sight. The Straw Hats were facing a pass that cut through some steep cliffs. If there was a town nearby, it was a lot further inland.

"Oh! Oh! Then there's meat, right?" asked Luffy as he ran over to Nami, sounding excited. "There has to be a place to eat meat if there's a village!"

"Just forget about meat for a minute would ya?" scolded Nami as she glared at the captain.

**SKISH!SKISH!** Only Ricky seemed to notice the bushes rustling up on top of the cliffs.

"Hey guys, heads up," Ricky warned them, "We're being watched."

"Huh? By who?" questioned Luffy, "Where are they? They got meat?"

**CHEW!**

"LOOK OUT!" yelled out Zoro.

**THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!**

A split second later a series of bullets came flying out from the rustling bush, causing Luffy to dance to avoid them. Ricky ran off in one direction, while Nami ran back to the boat for cover, Zoro held up one of his swords while trying to find their attacker.

**SKISH!** Suddenly three pirate flags popped up out of a bunch of bushes up on the cliffs.

**SKISH!** Another trio of flags appeared.

**SKISH!** Then another…

**SKISH!** And another…

Before they knew it, pirate flags were flying all around the top of the cliffs, with the exception of the water and the beach behind them it looked like the Straw Hats were surrounded.

"WHOA! THAT'S SO COOL!" exclaimed Luffy, forgetting that he had just been shot at.

"Are we supposed to be impressed?" wondered Nami, who was still by the boat in order to defend herself from more flying bullets.

"**AHAHAHAHAHA!"** came a loud laugh. "I AM THE NOTORIOUS CAPTAIN USOPP! FEARED PIRATE AND RULER OF THIS VILLAGE! YOU STAND BEFORE A LIVING LEGEND! THE MOST REVERED PIRATE WHO EVER LIVED! I AM THE GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP!!"

"INCREDIBLE!!!" exclaimed Luffy in amazement, causing Nami and Zoro to sweat-drop at their gullible Captain. Ricky probably would've sweat-dropped too, but he disappeared.

"You'd better think twice before you invade!" Usopp warned them. "It would mean certain death! My army of 80,000,000 super mean, pirate soldiers would squash you like bugs!!" Usopp raised his arms up and motioned up at all of the pirate flags up on the cliffs above him. Usopp was currently standing on a lower part of the cliff with a tree behind him, but he seemed confident that all his men were behind him.

"AAAWWWEEEESSSOOOOMMMEEEE!!" cheered Luffy.

Zoro stared at him while Nami sighed, "You expect us to believe that?" she asked.

"AH! She knows!" gasped Usopp.

"Yup, well I do now," replied Nami with a grin.

"How could I have been so dumb!?" groaned Usopp in exasperation, "I practically told her I was lying!"

"What? He was lying!?" questioned Luffy, who was upset that he'd been tricked. Not that it was very difficult.

"CURSE YOU, YOU CRAFTY TACTICIAN!" Usopp yelled at Nami. "Eighty million might have been an exaggeration but I have a great many men under my control!"

**SKISH!SKISH!SKISH!** Up on the cliff, six of the flags were waving up and down as Carrot, Pepper, and Onion hid in a bush waving flags with both hands.

"My guess is three," said Nami as she calmly leaned back against the boat.

"AAAAHHH! SHE _DOES_ KNOW!!" screamed the Veggie Pirates as they turned around and ran away.

"HEY! WHERE'RE YOU GUYS GOING! COME BACK!" Usopp yelled after them.

Nami reached down and picked up one of the 'bullets' Usopp had shot at them, but it wasn't a bullet at all, it was a small lead marble that was now covered in sand, "A pirate using a slingshot, huh? Well now I've seen it all."

"Hahahahaha!" Luffy laughed, "That's pretty cool! Hahahahaha!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH OR I'LL SHUT IT FOR YOU!" threatened Usopp as he reached into his supply bag and pulled out a green slingshot. "I'm a proud man and I won't stand for it! This is your last warning, because you're about to see why they call me Proud Captain Usopp!"

Luffy tilted his hat down so it hid his eyes from view, Zoro and Nami just stared up at Usopp. "You've already seen just how good I am with this thing," Usopp continued as he loaded his slingshot and pulled back the marble he had place in it, he was ready to let it go at a second's notice. "So you know I can rival anyone carrying a pistol!"

"You're putting your life on the line by pointing that at me," Luffy warned Usopp as he continued to hold his straw hat. He was referencing what his hero had said to a bandit ten years ago.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" questioned Usopp.

"I'm saying it's not safe to point guns," Luffy warned him. "Now that you've drawn your weapon, are you willing to use it?"

"Heh heh," chuckled Zoro, he noticed the branches of the tree behind Usopp shifting slightly. "I can assure you, we're real pirates. Consider your next move very carefully."

"…" Usopp stared at Luffy who still had a blank expression on his face. Zoro gripped one of his swords and showed that he was ready to fight.

**TMP!** **"Put it down, Long Nose,"** came a voice from behind Usopp. "You'll be dead before you can hit him." Usopp glanced down and saw a blood red blade at his neck.

Usopp dropped the marble and then dropped his slingshot before dropping to his knees. "Real pirates sure have a lot of punch behind their words, because they can actually back 'em up."

"Next time, make your story sound more believable," lectured Ricky as he lowered his sword and held it beside him. "This is a small island, I doubt there are even eighty thousand people on it. If you had simply said a hundred, then we might've been inclined to believe you. When you're lying you need to be subtle, that way the people you're lying to won't suspect anything."

"And he would know all about that," muttered Nami.

Meanwhile Luffy was laughing at Usopp's revelation "Hahaha, I like you, you're funny."

"So _Captain_ Usopp, do you know anywhere we could get something to eat?" asked Ricky as he cut his arm and put his sword away.

"Of course!" exclaimed Usopp as he popped back up. "I know everything about this island and everyone knows me!" That was actually true for the most part, everyone on the island knew of him, but they didn't exactly hold him in a high regard.

**---x---**

A little while later, Usopp and the four Straw Hat Pirates were sitting at a table in an inn in Syrup Village where they had a nice meal courtesy of the First Mate/Financial Manager. Luffy and Usopp really seemed to hit it off, and Usopp seemed really interested in Luffy's _real_ pirate crew. Ricky just stared at Usopp, something about him was familiar, it seemed like he had seen him before somewhere.

"Really you're looking for a crew?" Usopp asked Luffy, "Crewmen and a bigger ship?"

"That's right," answered Luffy, as he sank his teeth into a large leg of meat.

"What a great adventure," Usopp said in amazement. "Well, you won't find any ships here in town. But there is a place you can go."

"Where?" asked Nami.

"That huge mansion that sticks out like a soar thumb," answered Usopp, "The owner of the mansion is a young girl. But she's sick and doesn't do anything but sleep since she's so weak."

"How did she become the owner of the mansion?" asked Nami.

"More meat please!" Luffy suddenly interrupted.

"And more grog," added Zoro.

"Are you guys even listening to my story!?" snapped Usopp.

"You'll get used to it," Ricky told him. "I've known this guy my whole life, he's got the attention span of a five year old. Keep what you have to say short so it'll sound important and leave less time for his short attention span to kick in."

"Right," Usopp said with a nod then he continued. "About a year ago both of her parents got sick and died. They left her a huge inheritance, a lot of money, and a dozen servants. She's rich and lives in luxury but her money isn't enough to cure her sadness."

Nami had been listening to the story the whole time, and once Usopp was done she suddenly slammed her fist down on the table, "Forget it," said Nami, "We're not going to find a ship here, let's go to another town."

"Okay," agreed Luffy, "We can spare the time and at least I've eaten some meat. Let's get some supplies and go."

"By the way," piped up Usopp, "You said you were looking for crewmen right?"

"That's right," answered Luffy.

"Then I'm your man!" exclaimed Usopp, "I can be the Captain!"

"NO THANKS!" chorused Luffy, Nami, and Zoro all at the same time.

"Don't you even want to think it over!?" asked Usopp in indignation.

"Listen Long Nose," said Ricky, "Luffy's the Captain."

"What about First Mate?" offered Usopp.

Ricky quirked his eyebrow, "That's my job. But you can fight me for it… if you want."

"Uh… never mind…" replied Usopp, who visibly paled at the idea of _fighting_ a pirate.

**---x---**

Meanwhile, some distance off, in the mansion that 'stuck out like a soar thumb' a girl had woken up and called for her butler. "Klahadore…"

"Yes Mistress Kaya?" came the reply.

"I want to see Usopp," said the girl. Her name was Kaya, she had shoulder length pale blonde hair and a pale complexion, she was very sick, but due to the death of her parents, she owned the entire estate. Unfortunately, due to her illness, she spent most of her time confined to her bed, thus why all she was wearing was a light green nightgown.

**---x---**

**The Lie Rejecter**

**---x---**

Back in town three vegetable-themed boys snuck up to the inn. "Onion are you sure those pirates are in here?" asked Pepper.

"I saw 'em!" answered Onion, "They took the Captain in here! We've gotta save him!"

"But real pirates are savages!" pointed out Carrot, "They'll eat us!"

"Pirates don't eat people, stupid," said Pepper, "Hags do! Now be brave, this will be the greatest battle that Usopp's pirates have ever fought!"

After a few deep breaths, the three kids kicked the door opened and stormed in, startling the four pirates sitting at a table. "USOPP'S PIRATES ARE HERE!" yelled the boys in unison.

"Who are they?" Nami asked out loud.

"I don't know," answered Luffy.

"They look like they've eaten too many vegetables," commented Zoro as he eyed the three boys.

Meanwhile the three Veggie-Pirates were having a discussion of their own, "The Captain's not here," pointed out Carrot.

"Could they have finished him off already?" asked Onion.

"HEY YOU PIRATES!" shouted Carrot, sounding braver than he felt.

"WHERE'S OUR CAPTAIN!?" demanded Pepper.

"GIVE HIM BACK TO US!" finished Onion.

"That meat was delicious!" Luffy said out loud, he belly was expanded showing that he had eaten a lot.

"The Captain? He couldn't have!?" exclaimed Carrot staring at Luffy's plate and his swelled belly.

Ricky glanced at Zoro with a raised eyebrow and a slightly evil smirk. "Your Captain's the one with the long nose right?" asked Ricky, in a bored tone as he picked his teeth with one of the bones from the meat he had eaten.

"R-right," stuttered Pepper, "W-what did you do to him?"

"Well if you're looking for your Captain…" said Zoro with an evil grin, "WE ATE HIM!"

The three kids screamed in terror, then looked at Nami, "THEY'RE HAGS!"

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!?" demanded Nami as the three Veggie-Pirates fainted.

"Hahahahaha/HEH HEH!" Luffy and Zoro laughed loudly while Ricky was sporting an amused smile.

"It's not funny!" scolded Nami. She didn't like being called a hag by people she didn't know.

"Who were they anyway?" wondered Luffy.

**---x---**

"Time to go?" repeated Carrot once he and his 'crewmates' had been revived.

"That's what he said," replied Zoro, "Then he left."

"It was probably time for him to go to that mansion," realized Pepper.

"The one where the sick girl lives?" asked Nami.

"Why would he go there?" questioned Luffy.

"To tell lies," answered Carrot.

"That's not very nice," said Luffy.

"No it's very nice," replied Pepper, "Right?"

"Yeah it's great!" added Onion.

"Huh?" questioned Luffy.

"He goes to a mansion to tell lies," Ricky restated, "And for some reason that's great?"

**---x---**

"You want to see Usopp?" repeated Klahadore the Butler. He had short and neatly combed black hair, was wearing a fancy black suit with gold trim, and a pair of gray and black striped shoes. He was also wearing a pair of glasses that didn't seem to fit him properly, causing him to have to push them back up with his palm on a regular basis. "Impossible!"

"Why? I just want to talk to him," pleaded Kaya, the sick girl who owned the mansion.

"Must I explain?" questioned Klahadore, "it is not appropriate for a lady to associate with the biggest liar in the village. He's a bad influence. My job is to protect you. Your body is weak, Usopp's nonsensical stories and too much stimulus for you."

"But I like them."

"Please try to understand," said Klahadore, "Your late parents trusted me with your care, and I will watch out for you. That's why I hired guards and take all manners of precautions. I've done everything for you."

"Yes, I know."

"I'm glad you understand," replied Klahadore, as he placed a tray on a table near Kaya's bed, "I'll leave your medicine here, see that you take it."

"Killjoy," muttered Kaya as Klahadore headed for the door.

"If that's what keeps you safe, I'm glad to be a killjoy."

**---x---**

Usopp peered around a corner at the two guards that were standing by the entrance, he was pretty sure they didn't see him, but was also sure they wouldn't let him in. Usopp slipped away from the corner and ran along the wall of the estate before stopping about halfway along it. Usopp checked that no one was looking then reached out and pulled out a square of bush, leaving a hole in the bush that was big enough for him to crawl through.

"Sorry to intrude," mumbled Usopp as he quickly scurried through the hole and onto the grounds.

**---x---**

**TAP! TAP!** A pair of rocks hit Kaya's bedroom window to get her attention. Kaya threw the window opened and her face lit up when she saw who was there. "Usopp!" exclaimed Kaya.

"Why do you look so unhappy?" asked Usopp who was sitting on a tree branch near the window.

"I wanted to welcome you as a proper guest," explained Kaya, "But Klahadore won't allow it. He's not really a bad person though."

"Don't worry," said Usopp in an attempt to cheer Kaya up, "I'd rather sit out here in the garden. I wouldn't feel comfortable in a fancy mansion. That's because I'm a fearless pirate."

"Well what's today's adventure?" asked Kaya.

"Today, I'll tell you about the time I fought that giant Goldfish when I was five years old."

"A goldfish?" repeated Kaya in disbelief.

"Yeah!" continued Usopp, "You should have seen the size of its poop! It was the size of an island!"

"Ahahahahaha!" Kaya and Usopp both laughed at the absurd story.

**---x---**

"You see," explained Carrot. "Kaya is really sick."

"So the captain goes and tells her lies to cheer her up," continued Pepper.

"He's awesome!" said Onion.

"Some people say laughter is the best medicine," commented Ricky, "He seems nice enough."

"Of course he is! The Captain's the greatest!"

"If the girl's happy let's go ask her to give us a ship," suggested Luffy.

"But we already decided against that idea," Nami pointed out.

"Luffy wasn't listening," said Ricky.

**---x---**

A few minutes later the Straw Hat Crew and the Veggie-Pirates were standing at the gates of the mansion. "Hey you!" yelled Luffy. "Give us a ship!"

When he received no response, Luffy turned to the rest of his crew, "Let's go in!"

"Ever heard of knocking?" asked Pepper.

"There's no stopping him now," Nami commented to Ricky and Zoro.

"I guess we'll have to go after him," said Zoro.

"Don't worry, I've got an idea," Luffy assured them.

"In that case, I'll find my own way in," decided Ricky as he turned and walked off around the corner.

Luffy reached up and grabbed onto the top of the fence then moved backwards stretching his arms as he went.

"MONSTER!" shrieked the Veggie Pirates.

"Grab on," instructed Luffy.

**---x---**

But inside the mansion one of the other butlers had just told Klahadore about a band of intruders that had just snuck onto the property.

"What, intruders? Where are the guards?" demanded Klahadore.

"They're on their lunch break," answered the other butler.

**---x---**

Back at Kaya's window, Usopp was just about finished with his story. "Then we threw a huge pachinko down from the sky, scaring them all away, and that's how we won!"

**TWINKLE!**

Suddenly Kaya noticed something up in the sky, "What's that?" wondered Kaya as she pointed the incoming specks out to Usopp.

"YAHOOO!!" cheered Luffy as he plummeted down from the sky.

**KRASH!! **When the dust from Luffy's crash cleared Luffy was on the ground with Nami and Zoro next to him. The three Veggie-Pirates had landed in a bush. "Successful entry," commented Luffy.

"NO IT WASN'T!" snapped Nami.

"Are you okay?" asked Kaya with concern.

"**They'll be fine,"** came a voice. Usopp and Kaya turned and noticed a one-eyed pirate sitting on the tree branch next to Usopp.

"GAH! How'd you get in here!?" demanded Usopp.

"Someone cut a hole in one of the bushes," explained Ricky with a shrug.

"That does it… next time I'm going with _him_," grumbled Zoro as he started gathering up his swords. Nami nodded and silently agreed with him.

"Who're you?" asked Kaya.

"These pirates heard how great I am and wanted to join the Usopp Pirate crew," lied Usopp.

"Yeah," agreed Luffy who wasn't listening, "WAIT A MINUTE!"

"What story did you tell her?" Ricky asked Usopp.

"You know about that?" questioned Usopp.

"It was about the time he fought a giant goldfish," Kaya answered for Usopp.

"A goldfish?" repeated Ricky as he glanced at Usopp. "That's it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Usopp, who wasn't going to admit that his story had been a tall tale.

"That's boring," explained Ricky. That wasn't interesting or scary at all, when would someone ever come across a giant goldfish anyway. (A/N: Cough-Manga chapter 129-cough) "One time I fought this twenty-foot lion."

"You fought a giant lion!?" asked Kaya and Usopp at the same time.

"Yeah," answered Ricky. An awkward silence followed and everyone stared at Ricky.

"Aren't you going to tell us about it?" questioned Usopp.

"Yeah!" cheered Carrot.

"Story! Story!" chanted Onion and Pepper.

Ricky rolled his eye, "if it'll get you guys to shut up, then fine," he agreed. Ricky slowly began telling the story about how he and Chou-Chou the dog fought Beast Tamer Mohji and his lion Ritchie. The Veggie-Pirates, Usopp, Kaya, and even the Straw Hats listened intently.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kaya once Ricky finished, "So you four are really pirates?"

"Yeah," answered Luffy with a huge goofy smile. "But we actually came here to ask you something."

"Me? What is it?" asked Kaya.

"Yeah, do you think you could help us get a big sturdy ship," explained Luffy.

"**What is the meaning of this?"** came a voice, Kaya, Usopp, his pirate crew, and the four Straw Hat pirates turned to see Klahadore striding towards them.

"You do realize you're trespassing?" questioned Klahadore as he made his way over to the eight intruders.

"The butler!" exclaimed Usopp, while Kaya shouted, "Klahadore!"

"You see these people here, they're…" Kaya started to explain.

"Not now Miss. Kaya, you can tell me about this riffraff once they've left," interrupted Klahadore, before turning to the intruders, "You all must go, or do you have business here?"

"Can _you _help us get a ship?" asked Luffy.

"Certainly not," the butler answered quickly. Zoro whacked Luffy on the back of the head. Subtle he was not.

But then Klahadore noticed Usopp attempting to sneak around the tree and out of sight.

"Usopp!" called out Klahadore, causing the liar to peek around the tree in surprise. "I've heard rumors about you. You're pretty famous in the village, aren't you?"

"Uh… sure am," answered Usopp proudly. Ricky was still sitting on the tree branch next to Kaya's window and was making no effort to hide.

"So, you have faced all kinds of danger before," commented Klahadore, "That's really something at such a young age."

"Uh… thanks," replied Usopp, "You can call me, Captain Usopp. But really there's no need for flattery."

"The guards," continued Klahadore, "They've seen you lurking around the estate, do you have business here?"

"Well… yes I do," lied Usopp, "I saw a legendary MOLE MONSTER enter here, I'm trying to capture it."

"A _mole_ monster?" repeated Ricky as he shook his head, that wasn't very believable. When would someone ever fight a mole monster? (A/N: Ms. Merry Christmas)

"You're a bad liar," commented Klahadore, "But that's to be expected from the son of a filthy pirate. I wouldn't put anything passed you. I must ask that you and your kind leave the premises at once."

"A filthy pirate?" repeated Usopp as he glared at the butler, next to him, Ricky looked annoyed by the butler's comments.

"You and Miss Kaya are from completely different worlds. Is it money you're after? How much do you want?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH KLAHADORE!" Kaya yelled. "APOLOGIZE TO HIM!"

"Mistress Kaya, why should I apologize to this trash? I'm only speaking the truth," Klahadore turned to Usopp. "I actually feel sorry for you. Your treasure-crazed father did abandon you and your mother."

"Klahadore!" Kaya yelled.

"Treasure-crazed?"repeated Ricky. He took mild offense to that.

"You bastard, don't you dare insult my father ever again!" growled Usopp.** WHUP!** He quickly used a grappling hook to lower himself down from the tree. **SWISH! **Once he was on the ground, he gave the rope a tug and the hook retracted back into the bag at his side. **TMP! **Behind him, Ricky opted to simply jump out of the tree and landed in a crouch.

"What are you getting so worked up about?" asked Klahadore, "Why don't you lie and say that he isn't your real father? Or say that he's really a merchant, or how you aren't really related to him…"

**POW!! **Usopp lashed out his fist and connected with the side of Klahadore's face, knocking him down to the ground.

"Nice hit," commented Ricky while everyone with the exception of Luffy stared in shock. Luffy was just staring at Usopp and Klahadore as if he was trying really hard to remember something.

"Case and point," stated Klahadore from the ground as he held the spot on his face where Usopp had hit him. "I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it."

"SHUT UP!" shouted Usopp, "My father listened to his heart and chose a life of risk and adventure! I'm proud that my father's a Brave Warrior of the Sea! You're right, I have been known to make up stories, but I will never lie about who my father is! I refuse to be ashamed of my heritage! I'M THE SON OF A PIRATE!!"

"Usopp's father is a pirate…" repeated Luffy, "Wait a minute… now I remember!"

"It's about time," said Ricky with a quick glance in Luffy's direction.

**---x---**

So here's the first chapter of the Kuro Arc and the introduction of Usopp, Klahadore, Kaya, and the Veggie-Pirates. Next chapter is filled with even more lies, some worse than others.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	14. Chapter 13

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

**Lies:**

**---x---**

Somewhere else on the same island the Straw Hat Pirates were on, a strange man dressed in a blue coat and a matching hat was moon-walking down a path. **SKISH!** "Who's there!?" demanded the man as he whirled around trying to locate the source of the noise. It was a sheep. "Hmph," grunted the strange man as he glared at the sheep through the red lenses of his heart-shaped sunglasses then continued to walk backwards along the path.

**---x---**

"Captain…" said Onion, who was still shocked by Usopp's sudden outburst.

"'_Brave Warrior of the Sea'_?" repeated Klahadore as he fixed his glasses with his palm and got back up and dusted himself off. "That's a deceitful way to twist the truth. You don't seem to understand that you're living proof of his savage blood. You run around spouting lies and resorting to violence when you don't get your way. Now you're trying to get close to Mistress Kaya so you can steal her fortune."

"You're wrong! I only …"

"YOUR FATHER IS A FILTHY NO-GOOD PIRATE, TREACHERY IS IN YOUR BLOOD! OF COURSE YOU WOULD HATCH SUCH AN EVIL SCHEME!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted Usopp. He darted forward to hit the butler again.

**WHAP!** Usopp was stopped when Ricky grabbed him by the overalls and held him back. "Calm down," he instructed as he held the struggling liar, "He's not worth it. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"USOPP! PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!" cried Kaya from the window. "Klahadore is not a bad person. He's just trying to do what he thinks is best for me and sometimes he goes too far…"

"Get out of here," ordered Klahadore as he glared at Usopp, who was still being restrained by Ricky but was no longer fighting. "NEVER COME NEAR THIS ESTATE AGAIN!"

"Fine, I get it," conceded Usopp, Ricky reluctantly released him. "This is the last you'll ever see of me." Usopp walked passed Klahadore and left the estate.

"Usopp…" sighed Kaya, her eyes were tearing up after everything that had happened with her friend.

The Veggie Pirates saw the need to defend their captain and rushed forward.

"You stupid smelly BUTT-ler, the Captain's a great guy!" yelled Carrot.

"Yeah, you jerk-face!" exclaimed Pepper.

"Jerk-face!" echoed Onion.

"JERK-FACE!" Luffy shouted along with them.

**WHAP!** "Shut up," Zoro scolded him as hit him on the head. "You don't have a bone to pick with him."

Klahadore glared at the Veggie-Pirates, prompting the three of them to run and hide behind Nami.

"What're you doing? Don't hide behind me!" protested Nami while Zoro struggled to hold Luffy back next to her.

"That was low," said Ricky who was still standing in front of Klahadore from when he was holding Usopp back. "I knew Usopp's father and he wasn't a ruffian. Don't insult people you don't know."

"Am I supposed to be threatened, _pirate_?" asked Klahadore, saying the last word with distaste.

"Why yes… yes you are, _butler,_" replied Ricky, as the look in his eye turned really cold. Without even knowing it Klahadore took a step back.

"All you pirates are the same," snapped the Butler as he glanced down at the hooked sword that was sheathed at Ricky's waist.

"That's odd," commented Ricky.

"What?" asked Klahadore in confusion.

"Do you find it hard to hide the fact that you're gay?"

"That's preposterous! What would make you think that!?"

"You just checked me out. You should at least tell your mistress. I don't think she'll hold it against you."

"What's he doing?" Nami asked Zoro in a whisper. The swordsman shrugged.

"I'm not gay!" Klahadore insisted.

"You don't have to deny it. Maybe you'll be relieved that some people know now. I don't have a particular problem with homosexuals, but I'm straight. Please refrain from hitting on me in the future."

"I don't have to take this from a pirate!" The butler's hands were twitching.

"What are you getting so worked up about? I'm only speaking the truth. You were staring at my –"

Ricky was cut off when the butler grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand, and pulled back the other to slash him across the face. "I'M NOT GAY!" yelled Klahadore. But he managed to stop before he hit the one-eyed pirate.

A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face, "Gotcha."

Klahadore glared at Ricky and quickly let go of him. "It seems _everyone_ attacks violently when they're insulted… ruffian."

"Get off of this property at once!" ordered Klahadore.

"Fine," agreed Ricky, "I've made my point." With that Ricky pushed passed him and headed off. "Are you coming Luffy?" Zoro released Luffy and he quickly ran after his First Mate. Zoro, Nami and the Veggie-Pirates quickly left as well.

**---x---**

Once they were all gone, Kaya was in her bed crying. The door opened and Klahadore entered, pushing a cart with a tray on it in front of him. "Mistress Kaya, you're meal is ready.

"I don't want it," sobbed Kaya.

"You'll upset the cook if you say such things," said Klahadore, "He works hard day and night to make delicious meals that suit your needs."

Kaya sat up, still hugging a pillow to her chest, "Why were you so cruel to him? I know I was wrong to talk to him behind your back, but the situation did not warrant that kind of harsh treatment."

"May I sit?"

"Yes," answered Kaya, prompting the butler to sit down on the end of bed.

"Three years ago, I came to this estate. I'll never forget that day. Before that I had worked aboard a ship. I made one small mistake and they marooned me here. I was forsaken, alone, and eventually I wondered into this village. I was penniless, homeless, and helpless, I would have died without your father's help. I owe my life to your parents. And now that they're gone, I owe my life to you."

"I know it wasn't my place to interfere in your friendships, I wouldn't have taken suck a bold step unless I thought it absolutely necessary. But Usopp isn't known for his upstanding character. If anything were to happen to you it would be my fault for not seeing to your safety and I would never be able to ask forgiveness from your parents. No doubt you hate me for my childish behavior earlier today…" He decided not to mention the one-eyed pirate that questioned his sexuality.

"No, of course I don't," said the kind-hearted Kaya. "I'm thankful to have you around but I stand by my opinion. Usopp is one of the nicest people I know."

"We'll see about that," said Klahadore as stood up and got off the bed. "But Usopp is still not welcome here."

"Klahadore, you bone-head! You just don't understand!"

"You're right, I don't understand," admitted Klahadore as he left the room.

**---x---**

The strange man from before was still moon-walking around the island. He had long gray hair and a beard that looked like a mushroom stalk. He seemed be eccentric at the very least, walking backwards through a forest for no reason isn't exactly normal behavior.

But little did he know a small boy wearing glasses had seen him before he turned around and ran off screaming.

**---x---**

Nami, Zoro, Carrot, and Pepper were sitting by a fence in the middle of town.

"I wonder where Ricky and Luffy went," Nami asked out loud.

"Maybe they went after the Captain," suggested Pepper.

"We know where the Captain went," commented Carrot.

"The beach," Pepper continued for him. "The Captain always goes there when he's upset."

"Do you want to go?"

"No," answered Zoro.

"Aren't you missing someone?" Nami asked remembering that there had been three Veggie-Pirates before.

"Yeah Onion," answered Pepper. "He always disappears."

"Then comes running back screaming," continued Carrot.

As if on cue Onion came running back screaming, "IT'S HORRIBLE, WE'RE ALL IN DANGER! A BACKWARDS MAN! There's a strange man heading this way, and he's walking backwards!"

"Liar!" snapped Pepper and Carrot together when Onion finally reached them.

"It's true!" protested Onion, as he pointed down the road, "LOOK!"

Even Nami and Zoro chanced a glance at where Onion was pointing, and it turned out he was right, because moon-walking towards them was a strange man.

The man was wearing a blue coat and a blue hat and had a beard that looked like a mushroom stalk. He was also wearing a pair of heart-shaped pink sunglasses. He was 'One-Two' Jango, a traveling hypnotist.

"Who called me strange?" demanded the Hypnotist once he reached them, "I'm not strange!"

"You're right, you look insane," said Nami.

"Don't be silly," argued the Hypnotist, "I'm just a Traveling Hypnotist."

"Wow, a Hypnotist!" exclaimed Onion.

"Show us a trick!" requested Pepper.

"Yeah! Show us!" agreed Carrot.

"What?" questioned Jango the Hypnotist as he glared at the kids, "What makes you think I'll demonstrate my wonderful hypnotic powers to a bunch of road-side strangers?"

"Okay, you convinced me," Jango suddenly agreed as he pulled out a metal ring on a string. "Now watch the ring closely."

"So you _are_ going to perform?" questioned Zoro as he eyed the hypnotist suspiciously.

"When I say, '_one, two, Jango_,' you'll fall asleep," explained Jango as he swung his hypno-ring back and forth in front of the Veggie-Pirates and himself. "Ready? One… two… JANGO!"

**Zzzzzzz… **Once he said 'Jango', the hypnotist and the three young boys were fast asleep right there in the middle of the road. (A/N: I'm going to refrain from making any Michael Jackson jokes through the course of this Arc.)

"Why the hell are _you_ sleeping!?" Zoro yelled at the hypnotist.

"Now _that_ was strange," commented Nami.

**---x---**

By the beach Usopp was sitting under a tree on a cliff overlooking the ocean. "Hey!" Luffy greeted him as he suddenly dropped down from a tree. Usopp looked up in shock and noticed Luffy hanging from a tree branch by his feet, scaring Usopp half to death in the process.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" snapped Usopp.

"Yeah Luffy," added Ricky, who Usopp only just noticed sitting next to him, causing Usopp to once again be scared out of his mind.

"GAAAHHH!"

"Yasopp, he's your father right?" questioned Luffy.

"Huh, how do you know my father?" asked Usopp.

"We used to know him," answered Luffy.

"When we were kids, Luffy and I used to spend time in my Aunt's Tavern… well… I lived there… but still, your father and his pirate crew were there a lot," explained Ricky. "He talked about you a lot too."

"Really, you guys met my father!?" asked Usopp.

"Yup," replied Luffy, "And you look just like him."

"Except for the nose," Ricky commented quietly, "And your hair. But I knew you looked familiar when I first saw you."

"I only just figured it out," admitted Luffy, honest as usual.

"Do you know where my father is now?" asked Usopp.

"Nope," Luffy answered simply.

"He's most-likely in the Grand Line with 'Red-Haired' Shanks," said Ricky.

"Yasopp is a crewman on my favorite pirate ship," continued Luffy.

"Huh? Really?" questioned Usopp who couldn't believe his ears. "He's with 'Red-Haired' Shanks." A few seconds passed, "HE'S WITH RED-HAIRED SHANKS!?"

"I take it you've heard of him?" questioned Ricky.

"Of course I have," answered Usopp. "He's a great pirate! My father's with a famous pirate crew?"

"Speaking of great, I remember Yasopp was a great shot," commented Luffy. "I don't remember ever seeing him miss."

"Well… there was that one time…" Ricky recalled.

**---Ricky and Yasopp Flashback---**

**BANG!!** A gun was fired and the bullet blasted a hole through the middle of an apple that was sitting on a fence post. "Wow!" exclaimed a nine year old, _two_-eyed Ricky, he had a huge smile on his face and was clearly amazed by the pirate's shooting. "Nice shot!"

"That's nothing!" bragged Yasopp. "I'm the best marksman around! I could shoot the wings off of fly! I never miss!"

"Oh yeah, I bet you'd miss if you were drunk!" challenged Ricky with a sly grin.

"Well… I don't want to swindle a nine year old," commented Yasopp. "Hey! Did I ever tell you about my son Usopp? He's about Luffy's age now…"

"Yes, you have," Ricky cut him off. "But how's this, I'll give you the recipe for my Aunt's signature drink if you can do it."

"Ha! You're on!" accepted Yasopp. "I don't miss, I'll bet you five thousand berries!"

"Five?" repeated Ricky. "I thought you were confident in your abilities?"

"Well… that's all I have on me," explained Yasopp.

"Then get more," suggested Ricky.

"Alright, fine," conceded Yasopp, "I'll bet you twenty thousand berries."

"That's more like it," said Ricky as he held out his hand. Yasopp took it and shook it. "Now, let's go get you drunk."

About an hour later Yasopp and Ricky were back outside, and apple was on a fence post and Yasopp was getting ready to fire. **HIC!!** Yasopp currently had a bad case of the hiccups and was very drunk. "Get ready to hand over that recipe Randy!" challenged Yasopp.

"It's Ricky," corrected Ricky.

"You sure? **HIC**!!" hiccupped Yasopp. "I think I like Randy better…"

"Just shoot…" instructed Ricky.

"Alright," said Yasopp as he pointed his gun at the apple and put his finger on the trigger. **CLI—**Yasopp pulled down on the trigger.

"LOOK, A BEAR!!" shouted Ricky.

—**ICK!! **"WHERE!?" asked Yasopp as he glanced around him still in a drunken stupor. **BANG!!** The gun fired and the bullet struck the fence post under the apple.

"Hah-ha! You missed," laughed Ricky with a sly smirk.

"NO FAIR!" **HIC!** "YOU CHEATED!! YOU—" **HIC!** "—SWINDELER!"

"What are you talking about? You got distracted!"

"I'm not paying, you—" **HIC!** "—cheated!"

"Cheated? You missed, so I win. Are you trying to tell me that you think a nine year old boy swindled you? Don't go back on your word now. I thought you were a noble pirate. We shook on the bet! What would Shanks think?"

"Fine!" conceded Yasopp. "But I'm never—" **HIC!** "—never making a bet with you again!" **HIC!!** "I owe Benn Beckman fifteen thousand berries!"

Ricky smiled and held out his hand, "Yeah, yeah, pay up sucker!" That had been the first of many times he had taken advantage of Yasopp and won money from him while he was drunk.

**---End Flashback---**

"I guess he couldn't hold his alcohol," concluded Ricky.

"Yasopp was a great pirate," said Luffy.

"A great pirate," repeated Usopp happily.

Usopp stood up and stared out at the ocean in front of him, "I've always looked up to my father for living every day with his life on the line, out on the open ocean. He made a brave choice and I admire him for that. And then that stupid snotty butler stomped all over my pride."

"I hate that guy too," said Luffy.

"That makes three of us," said Ricky as he sat on the edge of the cliff and stared out at the ocean and the clouds. "Hey Luffy, that hat looks stupid."

**POW!!** Luffy punched Ricky square in the face and knocked him on his back, "You of all people should know not to make fun of my hat!" growled Luffy.

"I know," replied Ricky as he sat up and rubbed his face where Luffy had hit him. "But you proved the point I'm about to make."

"What point is that?" asked Usopp.

"There's two actually," admitted Ricky. "First, everyone attacks if properly provoked. Usopp, you hit the butler. Luffy, you just hit me. And I almost got the butler to hit me."

"What was the other point?" questioned Usopp.

"When the butler was mocking your father, you punched him, right?" asked Ricky.

"Yeah," answered Usopp.

"And just now when I made fun of Luffy's hat, he punched me, right?" Ricky continued.

"Yeah," replied Usopp.

"And if I walked up to a random lady and told her I'd like to see her naked, she'd slap me, right?" questioned Ricky.

"Definitely, what's your point?" inquired Usopp.

"When I questioned the butler's sexuality he didn't try to punch me, he didn't even try to slap me. He pulled back his hand and went to _slash_ me, as if he had claws on his hand. That's suspicious."

"You may have a point," admitted Usopp. Things got quiet then and all three of them stared off at the sky.

"Are you ever going to see that girl again?" Luffy eventually asked.

"I don't know," answered Usopp, "If that butler apologizes to me for the things he said, maybe I'll consider it."

"You mean that butler right there?" asked Ricky as he pointed at two figures down on the beach below them.

"Yeah, that's him," Usopp agreed, but then he realized what he was agreeing two. "WHAT'S HE DOING THERE!?"

"If you're both quiet, and keep down low, we can find out," suggested Ricky with a shake of his head. Then he turned to Luffy, "Luffy, we're going into Spy Mode, keep quiet and I'll explain when it's over."

"Right," Luffy agreed as he sat down behind Ricky and Usopp while they peered down at the butler and the – hypnotist – on the beach.

**---x---**

"Jango, I instructed you to keep a low profile," Klahadore said to the strange hypnotist that was with him. "What were you doing sleeping in the middle of the village?" And with a bunch of under-aged boys!

"Don't be silly," argued Jango. "I'm not standing out. It's not strange at all."

**---x---**

"Who's that strange guy with him?" wondered Luffy up on the cliff.

"I've never seen him before," admitted Usopp.

"The butler just called him 'Jango'. Keep quiet so I can listen. Meeting with strange people on a deserted beach makes him look even more suspicious."

**---x---**

"Have the preparations been made?" asked Klahadore as he adjusted his glasses with his palm.

"Of course," answered Jango, "Operation Murder Miss Kaya is ready to go at any time."

The two down below had no idea what effect that last statement had on their observers, Usopp and Ricky turned and stared at each other. Usopp looked shocked while Ricky raised his eyebrow with interest. Luffy sat by the tree and didn't say anything.

**---x---**

**Captain Kuro's Plan**

**---x---**

"Don't say _'murder'_," corrected Klahadore, "It sounds so sinister."

"Oh right," remembered Jango, "It's _'accident'_. An accident… that you planned, right **Captain Kuro**?"

**---x---**

Up above them the breath Ricky was quietly releasing caught in his throat. _"I knew I smelled something fishy when I saw him. It's probably his breath. He's Kuro 'of a Thousand Plans', former Captain of the Black Cat Pirates. But he's supposed to be dead… Marine Captain Morgan's claim to fame was arresting him and executing him three years ago. "_

**---x---**

"Quiet fool!" snapped Klahadore, "I discarded that name years ago. Don't ever call me that. Besides, you're the Captain now."

**---x---**

"What's going on?" asked Luffy, who was getting bored.

"That butler is really a pirate known as Kuro of a Thousand Plans," Ricky answered. "He used to have a bounty of sixteen million berries, but I heard he was caught and executed by Captain Morgan three years ago."

**---x---**

"To tell you the truth," admitted Jango as he sat down on a rock, "At first, I wasn't too sure about this plan. It was crazy! All of a sudden you quit pirating and teach all of us to work without you, and we helped spread the rumor that you'd been killed. You came to this village, now we're back, three years later, just like you ordered. You've never steered us wrong before, so I've obeyed your orders. But my share of the spoils had better be worth it."

"Don't worry," replied Kuro. "If my plan succeeds you'll get what you deserve."

"Well if its murder, I'm your man," said Jango.

"Just remember," Kuro reminded him. "You can't do anything crude like slit her throat. Her death must appear to have been an unfortunate accident. It seems that you don't fully grasp my plan."

"I understand it perfectly," replied Jango, "We wait for your signal then we attack the village and manage to accidentally kill the little rich girl. Then you get her inheritance and we all get paid, right?"

"You fool," snapped Kuro. "How would a person outside of the family inherit anything?"

"Then how are you going to get the treasure?"

"Listen you idiot. This is the most important part. Before you kill her, you use your hypnosis to make Kaya write her will. And it will say 'I leave my entire fortune to my butler Klahadore." Usopp's eyes and Ricky's eye shot opened in shock, but Luffy couldn't hear what was going on and didn't react.

"Then and only then will I have control of her immense fortune," Kuro said in a dark voice. "And no one will expect anything. I've spent three long years gaining the trust of everyone around me so it would be unsurprising for her to leave the entirety of her inheritance to me." Usopp looked terrified while Ricky's eye was still wide in surprise.

"Three years as a butler for this, huh?" questioned Jango as he stood up. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just bust in there and take them all at gunpoint?"

"That's the crude thinking of a pirate," replied Kuro, "you get the money, but you still have to live like a fugitive. What good are riches if you've always got the marines chasing you? I wish to obtain my wealth without attracting the attention of the government. I'm a pacifist now."

"Aheehee! Some pacifist you are. Murdering an entire family doesn't exactly qualify as peaceful."

"I haven't murdered an entire family," Kuro corrected him. "The father's death was… an unfortunate accident."

"Whatever you say," agreed Jango in a tone that said he was humoring the former captain, "Just hurry up and give us the signal. We've been anchored off shore for a week now. Those cut-throats are ready to cut _each-other's_ throats by now."

**---x---**

"_So __**that's**__ what he's up too!"_ realized Ricky. _"He's going to get the Hypnotist to make Kaya leave him her fortune and then he's gonna kill her."_

"That's horrible," said Usopp when he heard the plan.

"What's going on?" asked Luffy.

Ricky slid away from the edge of the cliff then sat up and faced Luffy. "Listen carefully," instructed Ricky. "The butler's the captain of a pirate crew. He's after the girl's money. They're going to _kill_ her."

"That _is_ terrible," Luffy realized.

"This is bad," whined Usopp, "this is seriously bad. First they'll attack the village, and then they'll kill Kaya."

"Hmm…" said Luffy as he adjusted his hat and started to stand up.

"You idiot, they'll see us!" snapped Usopp. Ricky quickly rolled over to the tree and ducked behind it so he wouldn't be seen.

"HEY BAD GUYS!" Luffy yelled down at the 'butt-ler' and his 'friend', "DON'T KILL THAT GIRL!"

"Who're you?" asked Jango.

"You idiot, now they've seen you!" scolded Usopp. "We've gotta run away and hide, or they'll murder us!"

"Well, well if it isn't Usopp, the mischievous town liar," observed Klaha – Kuro.

"Aaaaah!" screamed Usopp. "Now they've seen me too!"

"Did you… hear anything?" asked Kuro in a cold voice.

"N-nope! I didn't hear anything at all! We just got here, we didn't hear anything about anything!"

"We heard it all," Luffy answered honestly, even though he hadn't actually done any eavesdropping.

"Hmmhmm," chuckled Kuro, he caught Jango's eye and motioned to the two people on the cliff, then quickly turned around.

"If you say so," agreed Jango as he pulled out his hypno-ring, "Pay attention boys! And watch this ring closely!"

"Hmm… okay," said Luffy as he stared intently at the ring.

"It's a weapon!" exclaimed Usopp, "He's gonna kill us!"

"When I say, '_one, two, Jango'_ you will fall into a deep sleep," instructed Jango as he swung his hypno-ring, back and forth in front of him.

"One… two…" counted Jango.

"Get down," scolded Ricky as he slipped out from behind the tree and grabbed the back of Usopp's overalls. He yanked Usopp down to the ground, breaking his eye contact with the ring.

"JANGO!" shouted Jango.

**Zzzzzzzzzzzz…** Luffy _and_ _Jango_ fell asleep.

"Blast it Jango," complained Kuro as the hypnotist leaned against him fast asleep, "I thought you fixed your old problem!"

Luffy's head slumped forward, then he tipped over and fell head-first off of the cliff and slammed down to the beach below. **KRASH!!**

Usopp stared off the edge of the cliff in shock, "L-Luffy!"

Jango was woken up by the sound of Luffy falling off the cliff and hitting the ground head-first. "He had to go and fall off the end of a cliff," sighed Jango, "a pity really, I didn't mean to kill him. But there's no way he could've survived."

"He – it can't be!" exclaimed Usopp. "They killed him! He's really dead!"

"What should we do with the other one?" Jango asked Kuro as he glanced up at Usopp. "Shall I take care of him?"

"There's no need, anything he could say would sound like… lies. Jango, at daybreak the men are to attack the village. Rough up some villagers and damage their homes for good measure, and above all, make sure Miss. Kaya's death looks accidental."

"T-tomorrow…" stammered Usopp.

"It's as I said Usopp," replied Kuro as he turned to Usopp, "There's nothing you can say or do to warn the villagers of this impending tragedy."

"Damn it!" cursed Usopp as he quickly turned around and ran away screaming. "AAAAHHHH!! PIRATES!!"

"You sure it's okay?" asked Jango.

"Of course," commented Kuro, "My plan can't fail!" With that the two of them headed off.

Once they were gone, Ricky peeked over the edge of the cliff down at Luffy. He wasn't moving. Ricky calmly stood up and put his hands in his pockets, and then walked off in the direction Usopp had ran in.

"_Kuro was probably right," _realized Ricky. "_Due to his reputation as the town liar, no one will believe Usopp. But I__ know a couple pirates who will believe __**me**__._"

**---x---**

"_Pirates, they'll all be killed!" _Usopp thought to himself as he ran as fast as he could towards the village, _"They'll kill everyone in the village I grew up in. They're all in danger. And Kaya's gonna be killed! I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE I LOVE!"_

**---Short Flashback---**

"Who're you?" asked Kaya as she stared out the window at Usopp.

"I'm Usopp, a Brave Warrior of the Sea! Ahahahah! I've heard you've been feeling a little down lately, so I thought I'd tell you a story to cheer you up."

"You would do well to mind your own business!" scolded Kaya, her parents had only just died recently, and she didn't need someone bothering her. "Please leave or I'll call someone who'll make you leave!"

But before she realized it, Kaya was laughing and looking forward to Usopp's visits and stories. "Heehee! What happened then?" she asked.

"I fought of course," answered Usopp proudly, "and bravely at that. Versus a giant cat I used what else, a giant cat-tail plant." (A/N: Manga chapter 157)

**---End Flashack, I told you it was short---**

Usopp ran as fast as his body would go, he couldn't let the people he cared about get killed. "NOOOOOO!!"

**---x---**

"Whoa, what's that!?" asked Onion as he spotted something rapidly approaching them.

"Captain!" exclaimed Pepper and Carrot when they noticed that the thing running towards them was Usopp.

"I thought Luffy would be with him," commented Zoro.

"Is he still upset about what the butler said about his father?" wondered Nami.

"Who knows," replied Zoro.

In a flash Usopp ran passed them, the Veggie-Pirates almost got whiplash from how fast they had to move their heads to follow him.

"Did you see the look on his face?" asked Carrot.

"Something must have happened on the beach," commented Pepper.

"He was as pale as a sheet," pointed out Onion.

"How do I get to the beach?" Zoro asked the Veggie-Pirates.

"I smell trouble," said Carrot.

"That hypnotist was headed that way too!" added Pepper.

"It's time for Usopp's Pirates to take action!" announced Onion.

"Show us the way to this beach," said Nami as she got up off of the fence. "Maybe Ricky and Luffy are still there." The three veggie-pirates led Zoro and Nami off to the beach.

**---x---**

Meanwhile Usopp made it to the village and started shouting at the top of his lungs, "IT'S HORRIBLE! EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!" screamed Usopp, "PIRATES ARE GOING TO ATTACK US! TOMORROW MORNING PIRSTES ARE GOING TO ATTACK THE VILLAGE! HEAD FOR THE HILLS!"

"That lying brat is at it again!"

"That's twice today!"

"Forget it, just ignore his fool tales."

"Again during lunch!?"

"He's really overdoing it lately!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH USOPP! THAT'S ENOUGH FOR TODAY!"

"NO! This time it's for real!" exclaimed Usopp.

"That's what you _always_ say!" snapped a villager as he picked up a pitchfork.

"Maybe its time we teach you a lesson," suggested another.

"I'm always joking around!" protested Usopp, "this time it's true, you've got to believe me!"

"If you were trustworthy like Mr. Klahadore, maybe we'd believe you!" replied a woman.

Usopp couldn't believe it, they villagers thought that the guy that was planning on having them all killed was trustworthy. But they all thought _he_ was a liar, even though we was telling the truth this time. _"Damn," _Usopp cursed in his mind, _"They didn't pay attention to me because they knew no one would believe me!"_

"YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!" shouted Usopp, he couldn't believe the villagers weren't listening, "WE'VE GOT TO ESCAPE! EVERYONE'S REALLY GOING TO BE KILLED!"

**---x---**

Off shore Captain Kuro had just boarded his former pirate ship, "It's been three years since we last saw each other," said Kuro as he addressed his former crew, "If this plan succeeds you'll all get more than your fair share. TOMORROW AT DAWN, DESTROY THE VILLAGE!"

The Black Cat Pirates cheered loudly. Finally they'd get to kill someone. They just had to wait one more night.

**---x---**

"Zzzzzzz…" the 'dead' pirate on the beach snored with his straw hat lying in the sand next to him.

**---x---**

Back in the mansion Kaya had just come out of her room, "Have you seen Klahadore?" Kaya asked a butler in a black suit and had white hair that looked like a sheep.

"He had business in town," answered the sheep-like butler, his name was Merry.

"Really?" replied Kaya. Not knowing that come tomorrow morning, all hell was going to break loose.

**---x---**

Ricky and Luffy came to terms with the fact that Luffy has the attention span of a five year old and is a crap spy many years ago. As a result, Ricky does all the quiet spying and bluntly tells Luffy what he's overheard. Next chapter Usopp is going to try and warn Kaya about the upcoming threat, but will she believe him? This time he's telling true lies.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	15. Chapter 14

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonnan Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, I'm writing this story for my own amusement.

(A/N: Sorry about the long break between the last chapter and this one. I was on Spring Break last week. I stopped school work and writing so I could spend the week relaxing around the house, playing video games, and catching up with friends. But now that break's over I'll be back to updating one or twice a week. With that said, enjoy the latest chapter.)

**True Lies**

**---x---**

"Miss Kaya, I've received the special glasses you ordered from the store in the next town," announced Merry the butler as he handed a small box to Kaya. "Are these satisfactory?"

"Perfect! Thank you Merry!" Kaya said as she looked over the glasses. "I'm sorry you had to go so far."

"It's my pleasure to serve you, Miss Kaya," replied Merry the butler, "It's a gift isn't it? Klahadore will be so pleased!"

"I hope so," said Kaya, "Tomorrow will be exactly three years since Klahadore came to this estate. He's been such a great help." Unfortunately neither Kaya nor Merry knew of the evil plan Klahadore had in store for them. If all went as planned, they'd both be dead before noon tomorrow.

**---x---**

"Everyone! Listen to me!" shouted Usopp, "Pirates are going to attack our village tomorrow at dawn!"

"If we believed you every time you cried 'pirates' we'd be running for the hills everyday!" snapped an angry villager.

"BUT THIS TIME ITS REALLY TRUE!" argued Usopp.

"And this time, we're **really** gonna clobber you!"

"Yipe!" exclaimed Usopp as he quickly turned and ran as fast as he could, with the large mob of villagers chasing after him.

**---x---**

"What could have gotten the Captain so worked up?" wondered Pepper as he, Carrot, and Onion ran towards the beach with Nami and Zoro following behind them.

"**I can answer that for you," **came a voice as Ricky came walking out from between some trees with his hands in his pockets. Despite Usopp's panicked behavior and the Captain's absence, he still seemed to be his usual calm self.

"Where have you been!?" demanded Nami.

"I was with Luffy and Usopp down by the beach," answered Ricky. "While we were there we overheard a plot that the butler and some strange hypnotist called Jango have cooked up."

"Hypnotist!?" repeated all five of them. They encountered a strange hypnotist earlier.

"Let's get back to the beach," suggested Ricky. "Luffy fell off a cliff. I can fill you in on our way."

"Wait… WHAT!?" snapped Nami.

"Its alright, he only landed on his head," Ricky calmly informed her, then he turned and led them off in the direction he had come from, "This way."

**---x---**

Ricky filled the others in on the way to the beach where they eventually revived Luffy. "That's weird," commented Luffy once he woke up, "I thought I was on top of the cliff."

"Wait so that butt-ler really is a bad guy!" Carrot exclaimed to Pepper and Onion.

"I never liked him anyway," Pepper told them.

"And that hypnotist is in on it too," realized Onion.

"So that's what Usopp was doing," commented Nami, "That's why he was running toward the village like his pants were on fire. The villagers should have plenty of warning, they can just hide out in the hills. Pirates are generally pretty dumb."

"Not this one," said Ricky. "You don't know Captain Kuro, he's as crafty as they come. He was supposed to have been executed by the marines three years ago, but all this time he's been living as a butler. He's fooled everyone."

"Oh," said Nami, she had never heard of Captain Kuro before.

"Hey, maybe we should run and hide too," suggested Carrot.

"Yeah we'd better take our valuables," added Pepper.

"Piggy bank… snacks… model ship…" listed Onion, "what else?" The three kids quickly ran off to their house.

"OH NO!" Luffy suddenly shouted.

"What's wrong?" asked Zoro.

"I've got to go buy some meat before the butcher leaves town!!" exclaimed Luffy.

"Luffy," said Ricky quietly. "We don't need to worry about that."

"Why not?" asked Luffy.

"Usopp is a liar, no one's going to believe him," replied Ricky.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Nami.

**---x---**

Meanwhile the villagers had chased Usopp out of the town, but Usopp managed to escape and had made it to Kaya's mansion.

"Usopp!" Kaya greeted him when she opened her window. "I'm so glad to see you! I was afraid you'd never come back."

"You've got to get out of here!" exclaimed Usopp as he stepped off of the tree branch and onto Kaya's windowsill. "Your life is in danger!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Kaya.

"YOU'VE BEEN TRICKED!" Usopp warned her. "YOUR BUTLER IS REALLY A PIRATE!"

"What!?" questioned Kaya in disbelief, "Klahadore a pirate, is this a joke?"

"Its no joke Kaya," replied Usopp. "I heard him with my own ears! He was at the beach going over his plans with his henchman! He said he tricked his way into your service to get his hands on your fortune! He's a pirate captain! He's been posing as a butler for three years just to rob you!"

"Usopp what are you saying?" asked Kaya.

"His crew is going to attack tomorrow at dawn!" explained Usopp. "HE SAID THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU! He's a dastardly villain! You've got to get out of here fast!"

"Please stop this!" interrupted Kaya. "You disappoint me Usopp."

**---x---**

"Hey do you hear voices in the courtyard?" one of the guards asked the other.

"Hey! It's that liar!" exclaimed the other when he saw Usopp through the bars of the gate, "He's snuck onto the estate again."

**---x---**

"You'd actually use me to get back at Klahadore like this?" asked Kaya. "What he said about your father… Klahadore admitted that he went too far. He should have never said those things. But I won't listen to you tell lies about him! I never believed you would sink this low!"

Usopp stared at Kaya in shock, he was telling the truth! "Your stories were always filled with exciting and unbelievable things, but they were so much fun! I loved your lies! Why did you have to tell a lie like this? It's despicable Usopp!"

"Kaya, no!" Usopp tried to interrupt as Kaya's eyes filled with tears.

"How could you!?" Kaya sobbed.

"Kaya, wait!" Usopp protested. "I'm not trying to get back at anyone."

**SLAM!! **Kaya's bedroom door banged open, and Merry rushed into the room, "Miss Kaya has he harmed you!?"

"Kaya, I'm telling the truth," said Usopp as he reached out and grabbed her arm. "You've got to trust me." Usopp quickly lifted Kaya up into his arms and stepped back onto the tree branch, then jumped down off of the tree and landed on his feet with Kaya in his arms.

"**Get him!"** came the voice of one of the guards, three of them came running to get rid of Usopp.

Usopp left Kaya near the tree and drew his slingshot. "Usopp stop!" pleaded Kaya.

**THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!** Usopp fired three times, and all three guards went down. Usopp quickly turned back to Kaya, "When tomorrow comes you'll believe me, but for now you've got to get out of here! Please listen to me!"

**SWACK!!** Kaya suddenly slapped Usopp across the face, then quickly pulled herself free. "It's you, Usopp!" cried Kaya, "You're the dastardly villain!

Usopp stepped back in shock, even Kaya wouldn't believe him!

"RUFFIAN, GET AWAY FROM MISS KAYA!" shouted Merry as he rushed over with a pistol and pointed it at Usopp. Usopp quickly turned and started running, but Merry kept his gun aimed at him.

"DON'T!!" screamed Kaya.

"Huh?" **BANG!! **Merry fired the gun without meaning to and the bullet hit Usopp's arm. Usopp struggled and managed to get back up, then took off running again.

"Usopp's escaping!" yelled one of the villagers as the mob rushed passed the house. "We'll get you, you little brat!"

"THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" shouted Merry as he pointed after Usopp, "HE'S A VIOLENT CRIMINAL!"

"_Why won't anyone believe me?" _Usopp wondered to himself. He jumped over the bushes and ran off as fast as he could with the mob of villagers chasing after him.

Suddenly, Kaya fainted against Merry, all the excitement had gotten to her, and in her sick condition, she couldn't help passing out and falling against Merry. "Miss. Kaya, hang on!" exclaimed the butler in alarm.

**---x---**

Usopp eventually managed to give the villagers the slip. Captain Kuro's words echoed in his head, _"Tomorrow, attack the village a dawn…"_

Usopp walked passed the outskirts of the village, with tears freely fall from his eyes. The pirates were going to attack the village and kill everyone, and the worst part was, that even though Usopp had tried to warn them, they didn't listen, and now they were all doomed, and there was nothing he could do about it!

Usopp wiped his tears away and suddenly heard a voice**, "CAPTAIN!"** Usopp turned to see Carrot, Pepper, and Onion rushing towards him, followed by the Straw Hat pirates.

"Hey you guys," said Usopp, who suddenly noticed Luffy, "YOU! YOU'RE ALIVE!?"

"He only fell on his head," Ricky said quietly.

"Alive?" repeated Luffy, "Yeah, I must have dozed off."

"Captain, we heard what's going on!" exclaimed Pepper. "We've got to hurry and warn everyone about the pirates!"

"Warn… everyone…" repeated Usopp, he had already tried that, and he ended up getting shot in the arm for his troubles.

"Ahahahahaha! I just made it all up," lied Usopp, causing Ricky and Luffy to look at him suspiciously, "I got so mad at that butler so I made up a lie about him being a pirate."

"What? It's a lie!?" repeated Pepper in disbelief.

"I thought something exciting was going to happen," muttered Carrot.

"But the one-eyed guy said so!" pointed out Onion, causing everyone to turn and face Ricky.

"Uh…" Ricky stalled as he glanced at Usopp, maybe he'd see where this was going. _"I bet no one believed him when he warned them about the pirates. Now he must want those three out of the way. They're just kids." _ "That's right," Ricky eventually lied, "We just met the hypnotist down at the beach, and he put Luffy and himself to sleep."

"Then why did you bring us all over there? And make up that whole story?" asked Pepper.

"Because…" Ricky stalled as he searched around him for an excuse, he spotted Nami. Ricky sighed, resigning himself to what was about to happen to him then he continued. "I wanted to get Nami down here for the sunset… because I find her completely irresistible."

"Really?" asked Nami with a slight smile but then she noticed everyone staring at her, "I mean… YOU JERK!!" Nami pounced on Ricky and started strangling him.

"I can't believe you guys would lie like that," commented Carrot.

"Yeah me, neither," agreed Pepper.

"Or me," added Onion. "I don't like that Butler either, but lying to hurt someone? That's just mean!"

"He's not… the one being hurt," grunted Ricky, who was still being strangled by Nami, her face was bright red… from _anger_… yeah… anger…

The three Veggie-Pirates, slowly left and headed off, "Let's go home," suggested Carrot.

"Yeah," agreed Pepper, "it's almost time for dinner."

"Wonder what we're having," Onion said out loud as he and the other two walked off.

"You can stop now," Ricky said once the Veggie-Pirates had left. Nami surprisingly let go of his throat. "Crazy she-devil," muttered Ricky as he turned his head and glanced at Usopp. "They didn't believe you…"

**---x---**

Night had fallen and Usopp had explained to the Straw Hat Crew what had happened, "It's because I'm a liar," admitted Usopp. "No one believes me, I should have known."

"Hm, I figured," commented Ricky who was standing there staring up at the stars with his hands in his pockets.

"But the facts are still the facts," said Nami, "The pirate really are coming, aren't they?"

"They're coming alright," Usopp answered, "And no one will believe me. They think tomorrow will be just another day." Usopp realized that if anyone was going to stop the pirates, it was going to be him, the only person who actually knew they were coming. "IT'S UP TO ME TO MEET THOSE PIRATES AND FIGHT THEM OFF! THEN I'LL HAVE A REAL TALE TO TELL! I MAY BE A LIAR… BUT THIS TIME MY TALE WILL COME TRUE!"

Luffy, Ricky, Zoro and Nami turned to look at Usopp, "They can shoot me in the arm, they can chase me with brooms and pitchforks… but this village is my home. I LOVE THIS VILLAGE! I'VE GOT TO PROTECT MY NEIGHBORS!"

"There's not much time to plan," said Usopp as he sat back down and placed his head in his hands. "But I refuse to let everyone be murdered."

Ricky looked away from Usopp and turned to the other three, "Sounds like as good a reason as any for us to stand and fight," commented Ricky with a casual shrug. "He's scared to death, but…"

"No I'm not!" argued Usopp.

"Then why are your legs shaking?" asked Ricky. Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and even Usopp glanced down at Usopp's legs and saw that they were indeed shaking, signifying how scared he really was.

"SO WHAT IF I'M SCARED! THEY'RE THE KURO PIRATES!" argued Usopp.

"Long-Nose is willing to go up against the Black Cat Pirates, _on his own_ to defend his village," pointed out Ricky. "I say we lend a hand and make sure those pirates regret setting foot on this island. Who's with me?"

"LET'S DO IT!!" shouted Luffy, once again he had gotten worked up by the First Mate.

"YEAH!" cheered Zoro, this time he got worked up too.

"THE TREASURE'S ALL MINE!" called out Nami, Ricky's pre-battle speeches could be oddly inspiring.

Ricky had a slight grin on his face as he turned and glanced at Usopp who was staring at the pirates in disbelief. They were actually offering to help.

**---x---**

**Crescent Moon**

**---x---**

"You guys… are willing to fight beside me?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

Ricky nodded.

"You guys…" sobbed Usopp as he broke down. He couldn't believe that these pirates, who he had only met yesterday, were willing to risk their lives to help him defend his village. He hoped that his father was a pirate like these guys.

**---x---**

"They'll attack from this beach," explained Usopp as he showed the Straw Hat Pirates to the beach. "And this is the route to the village," pointed out Usopp as he pointed to a path that cut through the cliff. They'll have to come up this pass, everywhere else is sheer cliffs. So if we can defend this path the village will be safe."

"Wow! Piece of cake," commented a determined Luffy.

"Easier said than done," replied Usopp, "We'll have to fight like an army. What can you guys do?"

"I cut," answered Zoro.

"I stretch," said Luffy.

"I steal," added Nami.

"I run and hide," admitted Usopp.

"You've gotta fight!" snapped Luffy, Zoro, and Nami.

Looking to take the attention off of himself Usopp turned to Ricky, "What can you do?"

"Me?" questioned Ricky. "I fly."

Nami rolled her eyes, "Stop lying!" she scolded.

"Whatever," Ricky put his hands in his pockets and shrugged indifferently.

**---x---**

At the mansion, Klahadore had come back from his 'errands' in the next town. "Where is Mistress Kaya?" he asked.

"She's in her room," answered Merry, "All of today's excitement exhausted her."

"To think that all of this happened while I was in the other town," said Klahadore once Merry had told him what happened with Usopp, "That Usopp is a troublemaker."

"He even accused you of being a pirate," Merry told Klahadore, "What a story-teller."

"Yes," Klahadore chuckled, then he noticed a small present lying on the table in front of him. "What's this?"

"That's a gift from Miss. Kaya. Tomorrow will be three years since you came to this estate, an anniversary of sorts."

"An anniversary, huh?" repeated Klahadore as he opened the package and pulled out the pair of glasses inside.

"Your glasses are always slipping. So Miss. Kaya had these specially made for you. She's such a generous, thoughtful person."

"Yes she is, tomorrow will be a special day indeed."

"Huh?"

"There's a crescent moon out tonight," commented Klahadore as glanced out at the moon through the window. "Nights like these do something to me. They bring out the beast in me." Klahadore suddenly dropped the glasses on the ground, **KRUNCH!! **Klahadore drove his foot down onto the glasses, crushing them.

"NO! Klahadore, why did you destroy Miss. Kaya's gift?"

"Oh, I'll accept a gift from her alright. But not some paltry trinket, I'll accept her entire estate!"

"But… what?"

"There's no need for me to continue this charade. In a few hours, the- ahem, accident will happen. Three years is a long time to wait."

"MISS KAYA! YOU MUST RU--AAAAAHHH!" **SLISH!!** **FWUMP!!** Blood spilled out onto the floor and Merry fell to the ground.

**---x---**

The next day, dawn was approaching, and the pirates on Captain Kuro's ship were getting antsy. "Captain Jango!" called a pirate as he knocked on the door to the Captain's Quarters, "Its almost dawn, wake up!"

The door slowly opened and Jango was greeted by the pirates as he came walking backwards out onto the deck. "Fools, what did I tell you," snapped Jango, "its not morning until the sun comes up. The moon hasn't set yet, its still night."

"Sorry sir," apologized the pirate that had awoken Jango.

Jango walked backwards to the middle of the deck then spun around, to face the crew, "Alright you blood-thirsty scalawags… good morning!" The pirates gasped in shock, didn't he just say it wasn't morning yet? But they soon got over it when Jango ordered them to set sail. At long last it was time to attack!

**---x---**

"It's perfect!" announced Usopp, "There's no way they'll make it up this slope, not with all the oil we dumped on it."

Just as Usopp said, he and the Straw Hat Pirates had dumped buckets of oil down the pass that cut through the cliffs and led up to the village. When the pirates tried to go up it, they'd slip and slide back down.

"Now here's the plan," explained Usopp, "We attack them while they're slipping and sliding. No matter what happens we hold the pass!"

"I just hope we don't end up slipping ourselves," commented Nami, "It would be pretty stupid to get caught in our own trap."

"You sure did come up with a slick plan," Luffy said to Usopp as he tested the slippery oil with his foot.

"Naturally," bragged Usopp. "When it comes to daring ideas and this slingshot, I have absolute confidence!"

"The sun's rising," pointed out Ricky, prompting the other four to turn and watch as the sun came up in the horizon.

"It's dawn," said Zoro, "Here they come."

**---x---**

But unfortunately, Usopp had led the Straw Hat Pirates to the wrong pass. The Black Cat Pirate Ship pulled up to the shore and the swarm of Black Cat Pirates was ready to attack.

"Landfall me boys!" announced Jango, "ALRIGHT YOU SCALAWAGS! HIT THE BEACH!"

"Captain, there's two suspicious vessels docked here," pointed out one of the pirates, motioning to the two ships that the Straw Hat Pirates had sail to the island with.

"Leave 'em," ordered Jango, "There's no treasure in those leaky tubs!"

**---x---**

"Where are they?" Usopp asked out loud, he and the Straw Hats had been standing on the pass awaiting the Black Cat Pirates for a while now, and there was still no sign of them. "It's already dawn."

"Maybe they overslept," suggested Zoro.

"I hear something," commented Ricky, as he turned away from them. _"I could've sworn I just heard voices off in a distance."_

"I hear it too," admitted Nami as she cupped her hands over her ears and listened in the direction Ricky was looking. "I think I hear someone yelling north of us."

"NORTH!?" repeated Usopp in shock.

"Yeah I definitely hear something," confirmed Nami stared off in the direction both she and Ricky heard voices coming from.

"What is it?" Zoro asked Usopp.

"There's another landing on the north beach," admitted Usopp.

"You mean we're on the wrong beach!?" exclaimed Luffy.

"But the pirates had their secret meeting here… I just assumed…"

"We've gotta get there before they attack the village!" shouted Luffy, "Which way should we go!?"

"If we run straight north we should get here in three minutes," said Usopp. "There's a pass there exactly like this one. We can stop them there!"

"OH NO!" exclaimed Nami, "OUR SHIPS ARE AT THE NORTH BEACH! THEY'LL TAKE OUR TREASURE!"

"I'll be there in twenty seconds," announced Luffy as he turned and ran off.

"Luffy, hold on…" Ricky called after him. But the Straw Hat Pirate ran off as fast as he could. Ricky shook his head and he and Usopp started running after Luffy.

"Darn, my oil slick plan was all for nothing!" muttered Usopp.

"Hurry!" shouted Nami, as she started running, only to realize she was standing on Usopp's oil slick.

"Nami what are you doing?" asked Zoro as he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Help me! I'm slipping!" exclaimed Nami, as she struggled not to slide down the path. Nami quickly reached out and grabbed Zoro.

"Damn," cursed Ricky when he noticed Nami and Zoro's predicament, he doubled back to help them.

**FWUMP! **Nami pulled Zoro off balance causing him to trip and fall to the ground then start sliding down the pass. Ricky made it in time to grab Nami's arm and stop her from sliding down after the swordsman. Nami smiled up at him as he held onto her and kept her from slipping like Zoro had. "Come on," said Ricky as he pulled Nami off of the slope, tossed her over his shoulder, then quickly darted off after Usopp.

"SORRY ZORO!" Nami yelled from over Ricky's shoulder as he ran off carrying her, "BUT OUR TREASURE'S IN DANGER!"

"Don't worry about me," muttered Zoro, as he tumbled down to the bottom of the pass, _"Some day I'm gonna kill that girl and One Eye won't be able to stop me."_

**---x---**

"_I swear I won't let them get to the village_," Usopp said to himself as he ran through the woods towards the north shore. _"Boy that guy is fast, I can't even see him!"_

**---x---**

"_Head straight north,"_ Luffy repeated to himself as he ran through the trees, _"Straight north!"_

**---x---**

"If they touched my treasure they're dead!" snapped Nami, "And you can put me down now."

"You'd only slow me down," Ricky told her as he chased after Usopp. Nami groaned and allowed herself to be carried surprisingly quickly through the trees. "And what do you mean _your_ treasure? Some of it's mine."

**---x---**

"PILLAGING TIME!" announced one of the Black Cat Pirates as he rushed off of the ship, and onto the beach.

**THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!** A series of projectiles hit the Black Cat Pirates as the rushed up the slope, and they went crashing back down to the ground.

"You!?" exclaimed Jango, when he recognized Usopp.

"MY NAME IS CAPTAIN USOPP AND I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU SCOUNDRALS! WE'RE FULLY PREPARED FOR BATTLE! TURN BACK NOW IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES!"

**---x---**

"I can't get up there!" complained Zoro as he tried to rush up the pass, only to slip and slide back down again.

**---x---**

"Hmm… I'm outside the village," commented Luffy as he stared at the houses around him. "He said head straight north, and I just headed in the direction that seemed the coldest."

Luffy and Zoro were both out of the battle for now, and Ricky and Nami had yet to arrive, Usopp's plan was falling apart.

**---x---**

The action starts next chapter, but with Luffy and Zoro out of the picture, its up to Usopp, Nami, and Ricky to hold off the Black Cat Pirates. It's going to be an uphill battle on the steep slope.

Feel free to review and tell me what you think. I try to reply to every signed review that I get.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	16. Chapter 15

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, it wouldn't be nearly as good. Eiichiro Oda is a genius who I greatly admire.

**Uphill Battle**

**---x---**

Usopp stared down at the large number of pirates before him. Suddenly it dawned on him; he was alone. "Wh-what!? I'm the first one here?" Usopp said to himself. "That other guy was way ahead of me!"

"Oh it's you," realized Jango. "You're the barnacle that overheard our plan. What's the big idea?"

Usopp remembered what Ricky had told him when they first met, _"Next time, make your story sound more believable. This is a small island, I doubt there are even eighty thousand people on it. If you had simply said a hundred, then we might've been inclined to believe you. When you're lying you need to be subtle, that way the people you're lying to won't suspect anything."_

"THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!" yelled Usopp, sounding more confident than he felt. "I'M CAPTAIN USOPP! THE HEAD OF THIS ISLAND'S MILITIA! I HAVE A HUNDRED MEN LYING IN WAIT READY TO AMBUSH YOU AND CRUSH YOU DOLTS LIKE BUGS!! LEAVE NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"

"ONE HUNDRED MEN!? REALLY!?" exclaimed Jango. With their somewhat simple captain fooled a bunch of the Black Cat Pirates didn't look willing to charge into an ambush.

_"Wow, they bought it!" _Usopp thought to himself, _"So this is what its like to have people fall for my lies. One hundred men isn't as impressive as ten million, but Ricky was right, they actually believe me!"_

"There's no way that brat could be the head of the island's militia!" decided random pirate number one. "An island this small probably doesn't even HAVE a militia!"

Random pirate number two decided to call Usopp's bluff, "FINE THEN! WE'RE FEARED PIRATES! WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF A HUNDRED CIVILIANS! WE'LL SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!!"

"Crap! They saw through it!" exclaimed Usopp,

"SEE! He was lying!" pointed out random pirate number one.

"Does he think we're fools?" random pirate number three asked out loud.

"Why you!" snapped Jango in outrage, "YOU'LL PAY FOR YOUR DECIETE!"

"Captain Jango," random pirate number four suddenly called to him from the shore. "It's amazing!"

"What is it?" demanded Jango. "More trouble?"

"Not trouble, treasure," explained RP4. "We found treasure in those suspicious ships. It's a King's ransom! Its over nine million berries!"

"N-nine!?" Usopp said to himself in disbelief. _"Nine million berries? Why do they have so much treasure on their ship?"_ Suddenly Usopp had an idea, "THAT'S MY TREASURE!" he shouted down at the pirates. "BUT I'LL LET YOU HAVE IT ALL!"

"What? You're going to _give_ us your treasure?" repeated RP3 in disbelief.

"Yes I will," answered Usopp. "I'll give you the treasure if you leave immediately!"

"He's trying to pay us off," realized RP1, who appeared to be one of the brighter pirates, "What a scumbag!"

"Are you daft?" questioned Jango. "Of course we'll take the treasure… but why should we leave?"

"_He has a point," _Usopp said to himself.

"Now," instructed Jango, as he held up his hypno-ring. "When I say, _'one, two, Jango'_ you'll step aside! One… two… JAN—" **WOMP!! **Nami came from behind and smashed her bow staff into the back of Usopp's head, knocking him down to the ground. "—GO!"

"Don't say such foolish things," Nami scolded Usopp while Ricky walked up behind them, silently counting the pirates on the shore.

"Who are those two?" wondered RP2, "More people to kill?

"CAPTAIN JANGO THIS IS NO TIME FOR YOUR TRICKS!" RP1 snapped to the hypnotist… who had moved out of the way.

"The treasure on that ship is mine!" shouted Nami.

"Eh hem," Ricky cleared his throat.

"That treasure is ours," Nami corrected herself, before turning to the gathered pirates, "And I'm not giving up one berri! Get ready, 'cause I'm coming for it!"

"What's the big idea giving away _my—_our—treasure?" demanded Nami as she glared at Usopp.

"That hurt," complained Usopp, as he rubbed his head where Nami hit him. "Why'd you hit me?"

"She just saved your life," said Ricky as he stared down at Jango and the other pirates.

"He's a Hypnotist!" explained Nami. But then she noticed that they were missing someone, "Hey, where's Luffy? He charged off before any of us."

"I don't know," replied Usopp.

"He got lost," answered Ricky. "Luffy has no sense of direction. I tried to stop him but he ran off too quickly, and then Nami and Zoro started slipping. It's just the three of us for now."

"And just when we really need him," complained Nami.

"You still have me," offered Ricky with a casual shrug.

"Alright, you guys run and attack them and I'll back you up," instructed Usopp.

"What? Why me?" asked Nami. "What can I do against an army of vicious cutthroats? I'm just a girl!"

"You don't expect me to do it just because I'm a man!" protested Usopp. "Look at how scared I am, my legs are shaking again!" Indeed Usopp's legs were shaking, "See!?"

"I'm so afraid I'm almost bursting into tears!" argued Nami.

"YOUR EYES ARE COMPLETELY DRY!!" snapped Usopp. "If you're going to lie at least make it believable!"

Ricky and a bunch of the Black Cat Pirates all sweat-dropped as they listened to the two of them argue about who was more scared.

"We have no time for their foolishness!" yelled Jango. "Just charge over them and head for the village!"

"Here they come!" exclaimed Nami, "What do we do?"

"I just remembered, I have some caltrops," said Usopp as he reached into the pouch on his waist and pulled out some pointy metal objects.

"Oh, you have some goodies in there? Gimme!" ordered Nami as she took a handful of caltrops.

"Stand aside or we'll trample you!" yelled RP2 as he and a bunch of other pirates neared the three teens.

"Trample this!" snapped Nami as she tossed the caltrops she had.

While at the same time, Usopp shouted, "CALTROP HELL!!" The caltrops were made of two sharp nails that had been bent together so that no matter how they fell, one end would always be point up. This was bad news for the barefoot pirates and the ones with flimsy footwear.

"YEEEOOOOWWW!!" came the screams from the Black Cat Pirates when they discovered some of Usopp and Nami's 'presents'.

**---x---**

Meanwhile Zoro was still stuck on the bottom of the oiled up pass, but it wasn't from a lack of trying. He'd been attempting to climb up it this entire time. _"I'll never forgive Nami for this,"_ Zoro muttered to himself. _"It's just a slippery hill…"_

Zoro got back up again then rushed at the hill, but this time he used his swords and stabbed them into the ground, giving him the leverage he needed to make it up to the top. **SHUNK! SHUNK! CHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK! CHUNK!** "At last I made it!" exclaimed Zoro when he reached the top. "Now, which way is the north beach?"

**---x---**

At the same time Luffy wasn't fairing that well, he was still as lost as a cat at a dog show. "Head straight north, head straight north," Luffy repeated as he darted through the trees. "WHICH WAY IS NORTH!?"

**---x---**

Back with Nami, Ricky, and Usopp, the Black Cat Pirates had run over the caltrops and were currently nursing their feet. "Yeah it worked!" exclaimed Usopp. "Now its time for my secret weapon, LEAD STAR!!" Usopp shot his slingshot at the pirates, **THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!! **A bunch of pirates were hit and went tumbling back down the slope.

"Nice shot," commented Ricky. "You're a great marksman, just like your father." Usopp's chest swelled up with pride.

"You're doing great," commented Nami. "I'm going to go take a breather."

"But you haven't done any fighting!" snapped Usopp.

"You're not going anywhere," Ricky said calmly while he glanced over his shoulder.

"And why is—" Nami turned around and saw what Ricky was looking at and let out a loud gasp. "There are caltrops behind us too!"

"YOU DUMMY!" yelled Usopp. "You threw them there!"

"Watch it," said Ricky as he poked Usopp's shoulder. "Don't talk to her like that. The caltrops were a good idea but I've got something that packs more of a punch." Ricky pulled a red ball out of his top right pocket and held it out to Usopp, "Shoot this at them, just be careful handling it."

Usopp took the red ball from Ricky and loaded it into his slingshot, "You've got better depth perception than me, aim for the biggest cluster of pirates you can find," instructed Ricky.

Usopp nodded and pulled back his slingshot then fired the red ball at a bunch of pirates that were charging up the pass. **CHEW! **Usopp fired the red ball which impacted with the ground in the middle of the charging cluster of pirates, **KA-BOOOM!!** The ball exploded and the cluster of pirates went rolling back down the pass.

"WOW!" exclaimed Usopp.

"What the heck was that!?" demanded Nami.

"I call them Explosion Balls," replied Ricky. "They're a volatile mix of combustible materials that they explode on impact."

"Those pack more of a punch than my Extra-Special Exploding Stars!" realized Usopp, "Those are just made of gunpowder."

"I mostly use them for distracting and escaping purposes," explained Ricky as he pulled two more red balls out of his pocket and held them up, "but they're capable of blowing things up. Usopp, it looks like they're still standing together, would you mind?"

**CHEW! CHEW!** Usopp loaded and fired the two Explosion Balls in rapid succession.

**KA-BOOOM-BOOM!! **The two balls exploded and took out another large bunch of pirates. More then half of the attacking pirates had been taken out in the explosions which was one of the negative consequences of standing close together.

"That should've softened them up a bit," commented Ricky, "now I'll go pick up the pieces."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Nami as Ricky walked passed her and faced the recovering pirates.

"What? Are you two going to fight them?" asked Ricky as he pulled out a final Explosion Ball. "Here Usopp, take this but save it for the Hypnotist if you can." Ricky handed the red ball to Usopp then turned to face the charging pirates.

"You little brat!" shouted RP2 as he rushed at Ricky, "You'll pay for what you did to my crewmates!" But there was no mistaking the sly grin on Ricky's face.

Ricky rushed forward with surprising speed then jumped up and drove his boots into the top of RP2's head, **WOMP!!** Ricky used the pirate as a springboard and launched himself up into the air, "Catapult…" Ricky FLEW through the air and down the pass, "SPLASH!!" **KER-FLUMP!! **Ricky came crashing down on a group of pirates that despite the explosions were still standing close together and took them all down.

"He was telling the truth!" exclaimed Usopp in disbelief as he put Ricky's Explosion Ball in his weapons pouch, "He can really fly! How'd he do that?"

"That lazy bastard!" growled Nami as she watched Ricky get up and glance around at the few remaining pirates around him. "That jerk's been holding back!"

"Is that the best the feared Black Cat Pirates can do?" challenged Ricky, looking bored. "You're nothing without that lousy Captain of yours."

"WHY YOU!!" shouted a group of pirates as they ran at Ricky.

"SURROUND HIM!" ordered Jango. "THEN TAKE HIM OUT!"

A group of pirates rushed at Ricky circled around him. Slowly Ricky reached to his side and drew Akaikyuuketsuki, revealing the red blade. "Red Blade… TORNADO!!" he shouted as he spun around with blinding speed. **SLA-SLISH!! **All the pirates around Ricky collapsed to the ground with bloody slashes running across their chest and stomach.

"Anyone else want some?" challenged Ricky, he held his sword out in front of him, it had already absorbed the blood. All of the pirates had either been blown up, knocked out when Ricky fell on them from up in the sky, or just recently slashed across the chest. The only exceptions were Jango and a bunch of pirates that were hurrying up the pass in hopes of avoiding getting attacked by Ricky.

"LEAD STAR!!" shouted Usopp as he launched an attack at the approaching pirates, **THUNK!! **Usopp hit one of the pirates in the face and sent him crashing to the ground then rolling back down the pass. Some of the pirates hadn't been quick enough to get out of the way and were bowled over as the pirate came rolling down.

"HA! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT!" shouted Usopp. **WHONK!!** A big stone mallet came flying and smashed into Usopp's head, knocking him down to the ground. RP1 had thrown the mallet and was now charging up the pass followed by a few more pirates.

But SOMEHOW Usopp, just an ordinary kid with a slingshot, managed to stagger back up to his feet. He had a big gash on the top of his head that was bleeding profusely. "I WON'T LET YOU ATTACK MY VILLAGE!" Usopp shouted as he raised his slingshot. "EXPLODING STAR!!" **BOOOM!! **Usopp fired at the approaching pirates and his ball of gunpowder exploded, engulfing the pirates in smoke and dust.

"I got 'em!" exclaimed Usopp proudly. **THWACK!! **RP2 charged out of the smoke and bashed Usopp on the head with a club.

"Did you really think you could stop us?" asked RP2 as he turned to head off towards the village but something grabbed onto his leg. **WHAP!** The pirate looked down and saw that it was an extremely bloody Usopp. "Let go!" **THWAK!!** The pirate hit Usopp with his club again but the liar refused to let go.

"No! Never!" Usopp shot back. "I'LL NEVER LET YOU PASS, MY LAST TALL TALE WILL BE A TRUE ONE! THIS WILL BE ANOTHER BORING DAY AT THE VILLAGE!"

"Blasted whelp!" snapped RP3 as he rushed at Usopp with his sword drawn.

**KRACK!!** The pirate's attack never connected, Nami stepped in whacked the pirate upside the head with her bow staff, knocking him out.

"Blasted wench!" cursed RP4 as he rushed Nami with a sword of his own.

**WHAM!!** Nami blocked the pirate's attack with her bow staff but was knocked backwards and down to the ground due to power and momentum behind the much larger pirates blow.

"I'm going to kill these two," muttered RP4 as he advanced on Nami with his sword drawn. Nami closed her eyes and flinched away.

"**No you won't,"** RP4 was suddenly lifted off of their feet and suspended in mid air. Nami opened her eyes and was relieved to see Ricky standing in front of her holding the pirate up by the throat. "You wanna lay a hand on my Nakama, you're gonna have to go through me."

Nami smiled at the back of the one-eyed pirate but then her eyes went wide when she saw someone coming, "LOOK OUT!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" yelled RP2 as he rushed at Ricky, looking to help his crewmate. But without even putting the pirate down Ricky lashed out his leg and shouted, "JAVELIN KICK!!" **CRUNCH!!** His foot connected with RP2's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground and rolling down the rest of the pass taking out a few of the pirates that were charging up.

"DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON HIM!" yelled Jango. "WE'RE LATE! WE HAVE TO SACK THE VILLAGE! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN CAPTAIN KURO'S ORDERS!? IF WE RUIN HIS PLANS… HE'LL CUT ALL OUR THROATS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FOOLS!"

With renewed motivation, all the pirates that were still conscious, struggled back up and charged up the pass at Ricky. "Right where I want you," commented Ricky as he watched the pirates charge up the pass. Ricky threw RP4 at the advancing pirates then ran after them and jumped up into the air. "Flying… ARROW KICK!!" **KER-THUD!! **Ricky drove his feet into the chest of RP4 and the two of them went flying down the pass and collided with the crowd of pirates that were charging up the pass.** WHAM!!** Like a bowling ball knocking over a bunch of bowling pins, Ricky and all the Black Cat Pirates went crashing down to the ground and rolled down to the bottom of the pass.

"And that's that," commented Ricky as he got back up and dusted himself off. He had just taken out the entire pirate crew, with the exception of Jango and any pirates that Usopp and Nami had gotten. "You two are late…" Ricky said without turning around.

"**Did you have to beat them all!?"** came a voice. Nami and Usopp spun around to see Luffy and Zoro walking down the pass.

"Well if _Ricky_ could beat all of them, they must not have been much of a challenge," commented Zoro.

"Now I'm in a bad mood and have no one to take it out on!" growled Luffy.

"Nami!" Zoro snapped at the orange-haired thief. "You marooned me in that muck!"

"Usopp, you bastard!" Luffy yelled at the long-nosed liar. "Why didn't you tell me which way was north!?"

"What is this Jango," complained the barely conscious random pirate number four. "You didn't tell us we'd be facing demons on this job! That _boy_ beat all of us!"

"Who are they?" wondered Jango in disbelief, one person had downed his entire force and now two more had shown up. "This is insane!"

**---x---**

**Backfire**

**---x---**

Captain Kuro was sitting alone on the front steps on the mansion and he was pissed. _"They're late," _muttered Kuro to himself. _"Curse those swabs... they know what the penalty is for running my plans. They're stalling but if they need a reminder I'll put them all to death!"_ Slowly Kuro got up and walked off towards the beach, those fools couldn't do a simple thing right!

**---x---**

Back at the shore, the Straw Hat Pirates were still standing tall, "I didn't realize you guys were so tough," commented Usopp, whose face was completely covered in blood coming out the gash on his head. "One of you took out all of them!"

"That's right," replied Luffy.

"What took you two so long, anyway?" asked Ricky, who had made his way back up the pass and was standing in front of Zoro.

"Well if you and that little girlfriend of yours hadn't left me stranded, I might have made it here on time," said Zoro as he glared at Ricky and Nami.

"That was an accident," protested Nami. "Besides it was better that two of us got here, rather than all of us getting stuck!"

"Then _you two_ should have stayed stuck!" snapped Zoro.

Meanwhile, Luffy was having an argument with Usopp, "How was I supposed to know which way was north?" demanded Luffy.

"You ran off like you knew where you were going," pointed out Usopp.

"I only had a rough idea!" argued Luffy, "Very rough!"

"Um… pardon me," said Jango to the fallen pirates around him, "But how was it that all of you were bested by _a child_!?"

"Hey, they're still alive," commented Luffy to the others. "They're really something."

"I wasn't _trying_ to kill them," said Ricky. "I was holding them off until you guys got here. You can handle the rest and I'll sit back and watch." Ricky walked over to Usopp who was still bleeding on the ground and sat down next to him and laid back so he could stare up at the clouds. Nami stared at him then walked over and sat down on his other side.

"Uh… about earlier…" Nami started to say.

"Huh?" questioned Ricky.

"Well… thanks for saving me," Nami thanked him.

Ricky simply nodded and said, "Don't worry about it, you're Nakama."

The Straw Hats turned their attention back to the Black Cat Pirates, waiting to see what they'd do now.

"Now listen," said Jango as he addressed his crew. "We don't have time to waste here. If our opponent is strong, we must become stronger! Everybody look at the ring!" Jango pulled out his hypno-ring and swung it back and forth in front of him. "When I say '_one, two, Jango_' you will all become superhumanly strong and all your wounds will heal instantly. You'll keep getting stronger and stronger!"

"What are those guys doing?" asked Luffy as he stared at the ring that Jango was swinging.

"Who knows," replied Usopp.

"Its hypnotism," answered Nami. "He's trying to make them believe they're stronger."

"That's a load of crap," commented Zoro.

"You'd be surprised," said Ricky without looking up. "Those with a feeble mind can be put in a trance and become easily suggestible."

"One… two… " counted Jango, "…JANGO!"

The pirates who had been exhausted and severely beaten by Ricky suddenly jumped up and looked absolutely vicious and a lot more aggressive. "RAAAHHH!" screamed the pirates.

"No way, they were exhausted a moment ago," said Nami.

"Why do I even bother?" Ricky asked no one in particular, as he continued to stare up at the clouds.

**KRASH!! **Down at the base of the slope, the hypnotized RP4 drove his fist into the side of the cliff, a large chunk of stone above his hand came crashing down to the ground.

"What the hell!" exclaimed Zoro, the pirates really were stronger. "He broke the cliff! What happened!?"

"Incredible, the hypnotism really worked," said Nami.

"One of them can demolish a cliff!" exclaimed Usopp. "And there's a whole hoard of them!"

"NOW MARCH!" ordered Jango. "AND IF ANYONE TRIES TO STOP YOU! DESTROY THEM!"

"You guys wait on top of the cliff," instructed Zoro, "Luffy, and I will deal with… Luffy?"

Luffy, who had up until recently been standing incredibly still suddenly let out a yell of rage, "RAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"He hypnotized you too!" exclaimed Zoro.

"You could say he's feeble-minded," Ricky said casually, not bothering to sit up.

"That idiot," snapped Nami. "That hypnosis wasn't even directed at him!"

Luffy charged forward full of aggression and shouted, "GUM… GUM… GATTLING!!" **WAP-AP-AP-AP!! **Luffy's rubber arms launched out rapidly at an amazing speed, power, and succession, just like a machine gun. **KRASH!!** The pirates that Luffy hit went crashing to the ground.

Realizing what they were up against, the pirates got up and started running away with Luffy running after them. Luffy ran through the pirates knocking them to the ground, then ran passed Jango and up to the ship.

"What's he doing?" wondered Zoro.

Luffy reached out and grabbed the sternpost of the ship, **KREK! KRACK! SNAP!! **Luffy pulled hard and in an amazing feat of strength Luffy tore the sternpost completely off. The large piece of wood was about fifty times the size of him, yet he was holding it up in the air. It was definitely clear to everyone watching that while One Eye was strong, Straw Hat was even stronger and that only meant bad things for the Black Cat Pirates.

"HE'S TEARING OFF THE STEMPOST!" shouted Jango. "HE'LL DESTROY THE SHIP!"

Luffy held up the sternpost then turned around and held it up like a giant club, he was going to crush the pirates with it.

"He'll smash us like roaches!" RP4 screamed in terror. The hypnosis had worn off of the Black Cat Pirates when they began fearing for their lives. The Black Cat Pirates got up and once again started to run up the slope, only this time it was to get away from Luffy.

"On '_one, two, Jango_' you'll fall a sleep," Jango ordered in a panic. "ONE… TWO… JANGO!"

**Zzzzzzzz… **As ordered Luffy immediately fell asleep, **KA-BOOOM!!** Luffy went crashing down to the ground, bringing the sternpost down on top of him, crushing some pirates in the process.

"That brat!" complained Jango, having been woken up by the sound of the sternpost hitting the ground. "You ruined our plan! If Captain Kuro finds out he'll tear them all to shreds and us along with them."

"Luffy wiped out most of them," pointed out Nami.

"But now he's smashed under the sternpost," commented Usopp.

"He'll be fine," Ricky reassured them, he hadn't even seen the stern post fall on Luffy but he sounded sure.

"Just tend to your own wounds," instructed Zoro.

"**Hey Buchi get over here!**" came a voice from on the ship. "The sternpost's been ripped clean off!"

"**The sternpost?"** repeated another voice. "How'd that happen?"

"Hey it's the Nyaban Brothers," announced a pirate, "The Ship's Guards!"

"Sounds like they've got more men on the ship," commented Zoro.

"Correction," said Jango. "_THEY_ were still on the ship!"

**---x---**

Captain Kuro was walking through the village with a purpose. He was going to make his former pirates pay for ruining his plan. With him, he was carrying a bag, that undoubtedly meant trouble. But unbeknownst to Kuro, he was being watched.

"Hey, it's that butt-guy," muttered Onion to himself as he peeked around a corner and watched the butler walk passed. "Why's he heading for the beach so early?"

**---x---**

RP stands for Random Pirate. They're not important enough to actually have names.

RP1 seems to be the smart one since he saw through Usopp's lies the quickest, he'll have most of the exposition lines.

RP2 is the blood-thirsty violent one, he's the best fighter and had his ass kicked by Ricky, Nami, and Usopp the most.

RP4 is the fat stupid one, he's easily scared and like Luffy is easily hypnotized due to being somewhat dim-witted.

RP3 is the random one who's just there and gets whatever lines that are left over. I only wanted four random pirates.

The battle with the Black Cat Pirates continues next chapter and Kaya finds out 'the truth'.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	17. Chapter 16

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, it wouldn't be nearly as good. Eiichiro Oda is a genius who I greatly admire.

**Truth**

**---x---**

In her mansion Kaya was having a fitful sleep.

_"How dare you try to make a fool of the Great Captain Usopp!" snapped Usopp as he stood over Kaya with a sword. "How dare you mock my pirate heritage!"_

_"Please, you don't have to do this Usopp," Kaya pleaded as she stared up at her old friend in fear. Usopp raised the sword and lunged at her..._

"AAAAHHH!" Kaya screamed as she woke from from her nightmare and sat up. Her heart was pounding and she was sweating, she took a moment to catch her breath and tried to make sense of things. "I don't understand why Usopp would act like that," Kaya said to herself.

Kaya slowly got out of her bed and slipped her feet into her slippers then left her room. "Klahadore!" Kaya weakly called as she walked down the hall. "Klahadore are you there?" Kaya slowly pushed opened a door and stood in shock at what she saw. Merry was lying in a puddle of blood. The butler was barely conscious and had bloody slashes going across his face.

"Merry!" cried Kaya as she rushed over to him and knelt down beside him, "What happened? Open you eyes! Merry, please don't die!" Merry responded by starting to cough, then he slowly opened his eyes.

"Miss Kaya… thank heaven you're alive!" Merry said weakly.

"Of course I'm alive," Kaya reassured him. "Who did this to you?"

"Klahadore!" answered Merry, shocking Kaya. "Klahadore tried to kill me!"

"What?" questioned Kaya in disbelief, thoughts of Klahadore saying how much he cared for her ran though her head, "But… why would he?"

"He's a pirate," replied Merry as he let out a grunt of pain.

"Then that means… what Usopp said was true!" Kaya suddenly realized, Usopp had tried to warn them but they wouldn't listen! They thought it was all another one of his lies!

"It was true," explained Merry. "He discovered Klahadore's deception and was trying to save us… but… none of us would believe him! And to think… we defended that villain!"

Kaya thought back to the events that had happened yesterday, Usopp was trying to save her! He was trying to help but they shot him in the arm!

"And we drove away…" Merry continued weakly, "a brave young man… who was willing to die to save his village!"

"What have I done!?" Kaya asked out loud, as she remembered slapping Usopp and calling _him_ the villain. "I said those awful things to him."

**KOFF!! KOFF!! **Merry was coughing up blood as he tried to get up off of the ground. "Somebody help!" shouted Kaya. "Merry needs help!"

"It's no use," said Merry. "Everyone on the estate has been on vacation since yesterday."

"No!" exclaimed Kaya, what were they going to do? "Then I'll…"

"We mustn't panic," interrupted Merry. "There's still time. Stay calm and think carefully… I saw Klahadore leaving not long ago. If what he told me yesterday was true… he went to fetch his pirates. We're not the only ones in danger, the entire village is too!"

"If Klahadore is after your estate and fortune just let him have it," suggested Merry. "They aren't worth dying over!"

"Alright," agreed Kaya as she wiped some tears out of her eyes.

"The harsh truth is that only you can stop Klahadore," explained Merry. "Only you, it's a terrible burden, you don't have to do it…"

"I know," replied Kaya. "But if I didn't try to stop this, what kind of person would I be? I'm going to have a talk with Klahadore."

**---x---**

In the village Onion had met up with Pepper and the two of them found Carrot sleeping under a tree. "Hey Carrot wake up!" shouted Pepper, causing Carrot to wake with a start.

"I'm usually still asleep at this hour," protested Carrot as he fought back a yawn.

"Well we can't sleep now!" exclaimed Onion. "We have a disaster to deal with. Pirates are really attacking. The Captain said that was a lie but I think that that was the lie!"

"I was thinking that too," replied Pepper.

"Me too!" added Carrot, "The Captain was acting weird yesterday and so was that one-eyed guy."

Suddenly the three Veggie-Pirates noticed an odd sight, KAYA was walking through town. Since she'd gotten sick Kaya NEVER left her mansion. The fact that she was alone only made it even more suspicious.

"Huh… its… its Miss. Kaya!" pointed out Pepper.

"Why is she walking around on her own?" wondered Carrot.

"Something bad must have happened," assumed Onion.

**---x---**

Back at the pass where the battle between the Black Cat Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates was still going on, Luffy was sleeping while pinned under the sternpost and Zoro was awaiting the worst. Usopp, Ricky, and Nami were all waiting at the top of the pass to see what would happen as well. Ricky was in between Usopp and Nami and was lying on his back staring up at the sky.

"So who's left on the ship?" wondered Zoro.

"Haha! You guys are dead now!" laughed RP2.

"NYABAN BROTHERS!" shouted Jango. "COME ON DOWN!"

"Hey, the Captain's calling us," commented one of the pirates left on the ship.

"What? They're not at the village yet?" questioned the other. "How come they're still on the beach?

"Look somebody's beaten them all up!" pointed out the first pirate as he and his partner looked over the edge of the ship.

"Looks like trouble, shall we go?" asked the second.

"Of course!" replied the other. "Let's go!"

Two figures suddenly leapt up into the air off of the ship then landed on the left and right of Jango.** THUMP!**

"Nyaban Brothers," said Jango. "I need your help!"

"You called Captain Jango?" asked the first pirate, he was skinny had green hair and was dressed up like a cat. He wore a blue t-shirt and brown gloves with claws on the fingers. His name was Sham, one of the ship's guards.

"What is it?" asked the other Nyaban, this one was fat, had a bell on his neck and a big black spot on his face over one eye. He was also dressed up like a cat and wore pink and purple striped pants, an orange sash around his waist, and a furry purple and white cape. He was Buchi and he was the other ship's guard. Together, the terrible twosome of Buchi and Sham were known as the Nyaban Brothers.

"What are they?" wondered Nami.

"Amazing, they jumped down from the ship, like cats!" marveled Usopp.

"I've jumped from higher," said an unimpressed Ricky.

"Buchi, Sham, we have to get up the path," Jango explained to the Nyaban Brothers. "But as you can see, there are some people in our way. Get rid of them!"

"W-we can't do that!" replied Sham with a look of fear on his face. "Can we Buchi?"

"Th-they look really mean," commented Buchi, who looked just as frightened.

"I thought they were some kind of secret weapon," commented Usopp.

"They look scared to death," agreed Nami.

"Don't underestimate them," advised Ricky without sitting up. "The hypnotist wouldn't have called them down if they couldn't fight."

"We're just the ship's guards!" Sham said to Jango.

"Yeah!" agreed Buchi.

"SHAM ATTACK THE SWORDSMAN AT ONCE!" commanded Jango.

"Huh, me!?" questioned Sham in shock.

"Get him!" ordered Jango.

"Fire, I'll go, I'll go," conceded Sham as he slowly turned away and headed, slowly, towards Zoro.

"He's starting to cry!" pointed out Nami. "Why's he making someone like that fight?"

"READY OR NOT HERE I COME!" shrieked Sham as he rushed at Zoro, bearing his long cat-like claws. "I'LL SCRATCH YOUR EYES OUT!"

"He thinks he can scratch me?" questioned Zoro. "I'll cut your head off if you don't stop you fool!" Zoro warned the approaching Nyaban.

"**Go ahead if you can**," answered Sham in an entirely different voice, this one sounded sinister and cocky.

"What the…" started Zoro as Sham shot his claws out at him, **KA-CHING!! **Zoro only just managed to get his sword up to block them.

"You underestimated me didn't you?" questioned Sham as he and Zoro struggled for control. Sham pushed on Zoro's sword with his claws, while Zoro pushed back with his sharp sword. "You fell for it! I was only pretending to be a scaredy-cat!" explained Sham as he pushed back off of Zoro's sword creating space between them.

"Hmph," grunted Ricky, who didn't seem surprised.

"He's not really a coward," realized Usopp.

But suddenly Nami noticed that something was missing, "Zoro! Your swords!" exclaimed Nami.

"Huh? What the…" wondered Zoro as he stared down at his waist and noticed that his other two blades had been snatched from his belt.

"Lose something?" asked Sham, who had Zoro's swords sheathed on his back. "Now how did your swords end up with me? You might be a good fighter, but you shouldn't take Sham Nyaban, Guard of the Black Cat Pirate ship, too lightly!"

"He did it…" commented Jango, having just witnessed Sham stealing Zoro's swords.

"Cat-snatch," said Buchi.

"_Darn, he got my swords,_" cursed Zoro in his head.

**---x---**

**Cruel Fortune**

**---x---**

"Nuts, he stole Zoro's swords," pointed out Nami as she and Usopp watched Zoro and Sham's battle which had yet to start. Ricky was just staring up at the clouds but without even looking he seemed to know exactly what was happening.

"Give me back those swords," requested Zoro as he glared at Sham.

"Give 'em back?" questioned Sham. "Isn't one enough?" Sham reached back and pulled Zoro's swords off his back, "Before we fight, I'd better chuck these," commented Sham, **SWUP!!** Sham tossed Zoro's swords to the side, "They'd just slow me down!"

**Wa-wump! **Zoro watched in hidden rage as his swords went tumbling down the pass. "Perfect," said Sham, "Now I've lightened my load."

Zoro didn't give Sham time to say anything else, he quickly rushed at the Cat-Pirate with his sword drawn. "You should really treat other people's swords with more care!"** SWASH!! ** Zoro slashed at him with the one sword he did have. The sword cut through Sham's shirt and he tumbled to the ground.

"He's good!" commented Usopp.

"I guess it's my turn now," said Buchi.

"You shouldn't have thrown my swords," snapped Zoro as he darted off towards his discarded blades.

"**Hey, my shirt,**" came a voice. Zoro spun around in surprise, **POUNCE!! **Zoro didn't have enough time to react beforeSham suddenly leapt up and landed on Zoro's back, causing the swordsman to drop down to his knees with Sham on top of him pulling his arms up behind his back while at the same time, effectively pinning him to the ground.

"Sorry, you missed your shot," mocked Sham from on Zoro's back. "I have a cat's waistline you know."

"How's he still alive?" asked Usopp.

"There was no stomach under his shirt," explained Ricky. "He was just pretending to be hit so he could take advantage."

"How do you know!?" demanded Nami. "You aren't even watching!" Ricky just shrugged and slowly sat up.

"COME ON BUCHI!" Sham shouted to his brother, "HAVE A GO!"

"Sure Sham!" replied Buchi as he rushed forward.

Zoro was still down on his knees with his arms being held behind his back by Sham. He couldn't move as the fat Nyaban rushed up the pass towards him.

"CAT-A-PULT… CAT-ASTROPHE!!" shouted Buchi and he jumped high up into the air, looking to come crashing down on Zoro and turn him into a pancake.

"**Flying… ARROW KICK!!" WOMP!! THOOM!! **Buchi went crashing down to the ground and landed hard on his hands and feet. Sham looked on in surprise which enabling Zoro to shove him off and get back up.

**TMP!** Ricky landed on the ground in front of Zoro, "It looked like you could use some help," Ricky commented to Zoro.

"Damn you!" cursed Sham as he rushed over to Buchi and stood beside him. "You shouldn't have gotten involved!"

"I've never seen anyone jump as high as us before," commented Buchi as he let Sham help him up.

"How about we fight two-on-two?" offered Ricky as he drew Akaikyuuketsuki.

"That's fine with us!" Sham snapped in reply.

"Yeah, we'll slice both of you to pieces!" agreed Buchi.

"If he had gotten me, I would have been a pancake," Zoro commented to Ricky.

"Don't worry about it," replied Ricky who still seemed bored. "I'll take the ugly one."

"_Which_ ugly one?" asked Zoro.

"HEY!" exclaimed the two Nyaban Brothers at the same time.

"I'll fight the fat one and you can finish your fight with the other one," clarified Ricky.

"Sounds good to me," answered Zoro. "I'm no good with the one-sword style but I'll try to manage."

"We won't let you fools escape!" shouted Sham.

"That's right!" agreed Buchi.

"Let's get 'em Buchi!" said Sham.

"GRAND MARCH OF THE PUSSYWILLOWS!!" shouted the Nyaban Brothers as the rushed forward, striking out with their claws at a rapid speed. **SWISH!! SWISH!! SWISH!! **Ricky and Zoro quickly got their sword up and blocked in incoming strikes, **KLANG!! KLANK!! KLANG!!**

Right off the bat Zoro wasn't faring so well. He wasn't really used to using only one sword and was barely managing to block Sham's lightning fast strikes. **KLANG!! KLINK!! **Sham was relentless and started advancing on Zoro while keeping up his attack. Zoro backed up a little to create space between them, but not too much because he was still blocking Sham's attack.

Ricky on the other hand actually appeared to be faster than Buchi. While Buchi lashed out at Ricky with his claws Ricky would quickly move to the side and then try to follow up with a counterattack which Buchi would only just block.

"Darn it Zoro's giving ground," commented Nami, then she turned to Usopp. "Aren't you going to do something?"

"I'm not sure how long they can keep all that fast-paced fight up," agreed Usopp. "Maybe I'll provide artillery support and use my shooting stars." Usopp loaded a lead marble into his slingshot, **WOING!!** Usopp pulled back and released shoot the marble at Sham. **WHAP!! **But Zoro suddenly moved and the marble hit him in the back. That created the opening that Sham needed, **SLISH!! **Sham raked his claws across Zoro's chest causing crimson blood to start dripping out of the claw-shaped holes that had been torn in it.

But before Sham could capitalize again, **KLANK!!** Ricky rushed in and blocked the incoming attack. **KLINK! KLANG!! **Sham and Ricky fought for a few seconds but while Ricky was occupied, Buchi lunged up into the air and then descended looking to squish him. But as Buchi was coming down Ricky jumped backwards, **THOOM!!** Buchi slammed down into empty ground.

Sham rushed forward and used his brother as a springboard and leapt at Ricky, but the one-eyed pirate rolled to the side causing Sham to whiz passed him. It only took Sham and Buchi two seconds to recover then both Nyabans rushed at Ricky and attacked him. **KLANG!! KLINK!! KLANG!!**

"Who's side are you on Usopp!?" demanded Nami as she glanced from the bleeding Zoro to Ricky who was frantically fighting both Nyabans.

"No, I didn't," denied Usopp as Zoro fought back up to his feet. "It was like he got hit on purpose!"

"On purpose?" repeated Nami.

"YOU IDIOT USOPP!" shouted Zoro. "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET KILLED!?"

"Maybe… he saved _us_," realized Nami.

"What?" asked Usopp in confusion.

"If you _do_ hit one of them," explained Nami, as she watched Ricky frantically dodge and block the four incoming cat claws. "Those two could attack _us_! Think about what would happen!?"

"Wow, I never thought of that," replied Usopp.

"A little help here," Ricky called over to Zoro as he lunged to the side, just in time to avoid a four-claw strike from both Nyabans. Buchi and Sham quickly rushed at Ricky again, giving the one-eyed pirate barely enough time to get up off of the ground.

Zoro got up and rushed at the Nyabans, but Sham quickly spun around and intercepted him, **KLANG!! **Sham had blocked Zoro's one-sword strike with one of his claws then lashed out with his other claw looking for a counter attack that Zoro barely managed to dodge. **SWISH!** Zoro was already on the defensive again.

Meanwhile, now that he was only fighting one of the Nyabans, Ricky started to regain some sort of an advantage. **SHOOOM!!** Buchi lunged up off of the ground over Ricky's head looking to squash him, "CAT-A-PULT… CAT-ASTROPHE!!"

But while Buchi was coming down Ricky went up, "Red Blade… VOLCANO!!" He launched up off of the ground and spun swinging his sword around with him, **KLANK! **Ricky's sword smashed into Buchi's claws and knocked them to the side but then he kept spinning and came back around and lashed out with his sword, **SLIK!!** Buchi managed to pull his head back in time and only received a small cut on his cheek.

**TMP! TMP!** They both landed and Buchi held his hand to the cut on his cheek, "MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" he wailed.

"Actually… I think it's an improvement," Ricky commented dryly.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" screamed Buchi as he surged at Ricky swinging his claws wildly.

**KLINK!! KLANG!! **_"If only I had one more sword,"_ Zoro muttered to himself as he once again blocked Sham's claws.

"_This guy's pissed that I got him,"_ Ricky commented to himself as he ducked under a swipe from one of Buchi's claws. A grin appeared on Ricky's face, _"I wonder what would happen if I did it again."_

Ricky jumped backwards then leapt up into the air and swung his sword downwards at Buchi, "Red Blade… AVALANCHE!!"** KLANG!! **Buchi got his claws up over his head and managed to block Ricky's attack but while Buchi was caught up with blocking the sword strike Ricky lashed out with his legs and drove them into the fat cat's stomach. **THWHAM!!** Buchi went flying backwards and landed on his back disproving the theory that cats always land on their feet.** THUD!**

"I'm not done yet…" growled Buchi as he fought up off of the ground, "Cats have nine lives, kid!"

"They can't keep this up for long," Nami said to Usopp as she picked up her bow staff and got to her feet, "I'm going to get Zoro's swords. If I can get them to him, he'll skin that cat."

"Then let me get them," suggested the still extremely bloody Usopp.

"You're in no shape," replied Nami, "You can barely walk." The orange-haired thief quickly rushed off down the pass and passed the four fighters to get Zoro's swords.

"_What is she doing?"_ Zoro asked himself.

"_If I can just get them to him,"_ Nami said to herself as she sprinted over to the swords.

Jango watched from the bottom of the slope as Nami ran down to the swords that were on the ground in front of him. Nami reached out to grab the katana in the white sheath but someone put their foot on it and pinned it to the ground.

"LOOK OUT!" Usopp suddenly shouted.

**SHUNK!! **Nami didn't move fast enough and Jango, who was standing near Zoro's swords, drove the sharp edge of his metal hypno-disk into her left shoulder, knocking the thief to the ground while creating a huge gash on her shoulder.

"Nami!?" called out Ricky looking concerned when he saw Nami go down.

But this distraction left him open to a direct attack from Buchi, **SLISH!!** Buchi ripped both of his claws down across Ricky's chest, creating a bloody 'x' shaped wound on his shirt. **FWUMP!! **Ricky went flying backwards and crashed to the ground. He went rolling down the pass and lost his sword about halfway down. Eventually he stopped skidding in front of Jango and Nami. "Ow…" said Ricky as he sat up.

Buchi rushed in to finish the unarmed Ricky off but suddenly… he stopped. The same thing happed with Sham, who quickly leapt back from Zoro and stared at a figure on top of the pass. Jango looked up at the figure in a mix of shock and fear.

"Uh… sir… we hit a few snags!" the terrified Jango tried to explain while both Buchi and Siam shook with fear.

The figure on top of the pass readjusted his glasses with his palm then stared down at the scene in front of him.

"C-C-Cap-p-tain K-Kuro!" stuttered random pirate number three. "H-he'll k-kill us all!"

"_This is terrible,"_ Usopp said to himself. _"Why did he have to show up now?"_

"It's long passed dawn," commented Kuro. "And you seem to have trouble following my plan. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!?"

This couldn't be good, Usopp was bleeding badly and was hardly able to walk. Luffy was still stuck under the sternpost and Nami was still on the ground after being hit by Jango. Zoro and Ricky, the latter of which was still sitting on the ground in front of Jango, both had bloody, claw-like cuts running across their chest. This fight was just getting started.

**---x---**

Ricky's weaponless attacks are named after weapons like Luffy's (javelin, bludgeon, arrow, and catapult) I tried to give them a medieval theme. His sword attacks are named after natural disasters (tornado, lightning, volcano, and avalanche). I figured I'd give his attacks a theme like some of the other Straw Hats have. Luffy's got weapons, Zoro's are named after animals, Usopp calls all his attacks 'stars', and Sanji has (or will have) his French theme.

But now Kuro is here, what kind of impact will this have on the battle, especially when he uses his 'Creeping Cat' techniques?

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	18. Chapter 17

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, it wouldn't be nearly as good. Eiichiro Oda is a genius who I greatly admire.

**The Creeping Cat**

**---x---**

"Are you telling me that these… children… held you up?" demanded Kuro as he glanced at Zoro, Nami, Ricky, and Usopp all of them were bleeding to some degree. But _his_ former pirate crew seemed to be the worse for wear. Most of the Black Cat Pirates were down, the only ones standing were Jango, Sham, and Buchi. "Is this what the Black Cat Pirates have come to? Well… SAY SOMETHING JANGO!"

"You're in trouble now," commented Ricky as he slid away from Jango and over to Nami.

"But _you_ said it wouldn't matter if we let the kid go," Jango reminded Kuro, causing the former Captain to cast a glance at Usopp. "That's what you said!"

"Yes I did," admitted Kuro. "And I was right. It shouldn't have been a problem. Anyone could have predicted that he'd try to stop us. I didn't expect your defenses to be so feeble. I'm in no mood for excuses."

"Did he just call us weak?" an insulted Sham asked Buchi.

"Care to say that again, _Captain_!?" challenged Buchi.

Zoro shot Ricky a glance then shrugged and stepped out of the way. This could be used as a chance to recover.

"Maybe you were strong _once_…" started Sham as he stretched his claws.

"What did you say?" asked Kuro.

"Buchi! Sham! Stop!" ordered Jango in panic.

"…but that was three years ago," continued Sham. "_We_ haven't been living in a fancy mansion all this time!"

"Yeah," agreed Buchi. "We've killed many rivals, and have sunk many ships!"

"What are they doing?" wondered Usopp. Nami was thinking along the same lines as she glanced at Ricky in confusion.

"Hm…" Ricky simply stared after the two Nyabans.

Zoro just stood quietly in the middle of the pass while Ricky sat at the bottom and watched. If their opponents wanted to go fight with someone else, they'd finish them off when they were done.

"IT'S JUST YOUR PLAN THAT'S NOT WORKING!" shouted Sham. "WE WON'T LET YOU KILL US SO EASY!"

"YOU HAVEN'T FOUGHT FOR THREE YEARS!" yelled Buchi. "DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT THE NYABAN BROTHERS!?"

"They've got a point," realized RP3. "Even Captain Jango can't beat the two of them at once."

"YOU'RE NOT OUR CAPTAIN ANY MORE!" snapped Sham as he and Buchi rushed at Kuro.

"WE'RE GONNA KILL YOU BEFORE YOU KILL US!" screamed Buchi.

The Nyabans charged at the former Captain and went to attack him with their claws, **SLISH!!** Kuro disappeared, and they both slashed the empty bag that Kuro had been holding seconds ago.

"Who are you going to kill?" asked Kuro in a calm voice from behind them. In the time it had taken him to move he had slipped some gloves onto his hands. The fingers of the glove were each equipped with a long sword-like blade, giving him ten long sword-like claws.

"How did he get behind them?" Usopp wondered out loud.

"That was one of his Creeping Cat Maneuvers," said RP1.

"He's fast," commented Ricky in an offhand manner.

"What are those weapons?" wondered Zoro as he eyed the long blades on Kuro's fingers, each of them was as long as a sword.

"He got behind us!" shouted Sham as he and Buchi whirled around, **FWOOSH!! **Kuro wasn't there any more

"You two were right," came Kuro's voice as he rested his arms on their backs, startling the Nyabans. "I have gotten soft."

"It's true that I'm not your Captain anymore," admitted Kuro as he directed the point of one of the blades to a spot on each of the Nyabans' throat. "But I hired you for a job, and if you can't do it, I'll finish you off."

"I can barely see him moving," said Ricky.

"You can _actually_ see them?" questioned Nami as she sat up next to Ricky.

"'Barely' being the key word there," Ricky reminded her. "I barely have depth perception, but I'm used to moving at fast pace so it makes fast movements easier to follow."

"This is the first time I've seen someone catch the Nyaban Brothers like that," commented RP2.

"Those two were fighting evenly with you and Zoro," Nami commented quietly to Ricky. "But he's just toying with them!"

"Hypnofreak, how'd he do that?" asked Ricky as he turned and glanced at the hypnotist behind him.

"That was one of Captain Kuro's Creeping Cat Maneuvers," explained Jango, "it's a technique for undetectable movement. You have to be able to kick the ground at least ten times in a second to get that fast. Even if you had fifty assassins, they'd all be dead before they knew what hit them. When I met with him after these three years I was still scared to see that he kept up his old habits. He still uses his palm to push his glasses up his nose so he can avoid making a scar on his face. That's proof that he hasn't forgotten how to kill."

"And to cap this off… does it have any weaknesses?" inquired Ricky.

"Do I look stupid enough to tell you that!?" snapped Jango.

"Yes?" answered Ricky.

"Brat."

"Weirdo."

Back on top of the pass Kuro lightly pressed the point of the two blades into Buchi and Sham's neck, "These three years have softened my heart," Kuro said quietly, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. "You've got five minutes, if everything isn't sorted out by then… I'll kill you with my own hands."

"I don't want to die!" shrieked one of the pirates.

"Five minutes," Buchi muttered to Sham.

Ricky just raised an eyebrow and slowly stood back up, "He's good," he commented to Nami and the hypnotist standing beside him. "His intimidation techniques have all his pirates scared of him, they wouldn't dream of opposing him. If they did, they wouldn't even be able to touch him."

"Now you're starting to get it," said Jango. "That's why he's so dangerous."

"Damn!" cursed Usopp, "And to think that that monster has been living in the village for the last three years!"

"Five minutes," said Jango to himself. "We still have a chance."

"Not likely," said Ricky as he and Nami got back up. "Finish what you came down here to do," instructed Ricky as he motioned to the two swords then started sprinting back up the pass. He bent down and picked up his sword as he went.

"No problem," Sham told Kuro once he released him and Buchi. "We'll kill them real quick!"

"Then we'll charge right up the pass!" exclaimed Buchi.

"We were beating them before," said Sham.

"We'll be able to beat them in five _seconds_," agreed Buchi.

"ZORO!" Nami suddenly shouted, **KLANK!!** The orange-haired girl ran forward and kicked Zoro's swords, "YOUR SWORDS!"

"You _kicked_ my swords!?" yelled Zoro in disbelief as the two blades came whizzing towards him.

"What no 'thank you'?" questioned Nami.

Zoro reached out to catch his swords, **WHAP!!** Ricky suddenly landed on Zoro's shoulders and caught his Nakama's swords himself. He had taken a page out of Zoro's book and put his own sword in his mouth. "Fmmphh Mahmii!" mumbled Ricky who was clearly not as articulate as Zoro when he had the handle of a sword in his mouth. Ricky flicked his wrists and unsheathed the swords then flipped them and held them by the blade while offering the handles to the former pirate hunter who's shoulders he was standing on. Zoro took the sword with the white handle first and put it in his mouth, then took the other one so he now had one katana in each of his hands.

Ricky took his sword out of his mouth and held it out beside him, "Do you still wanna attack them two-on-two?" Ricky asked.

"Let's end this quickly," decided Zoro, "with one last attack from both of us."

"GRAND MARCH OF THE PUSSYWILLOWS!!" shouted Buchi and Sham at the same time as they both rushed at Ricky and Zoro wielding their sharp claws.

"Follow my lead," instructed Ricky as he stood on Zoro's shoulders and prepared for an attack.

"You may have more swords now," observed Sham. "But your skill is still the same!"

"Heh heh, you don't understand," replied Zoro with a chuckle. "_Wielding_ three swords and following a _three sword technique _are very different things."

Ricky launched himself off of Zoro's shoulders and flew at the approaching Nyabans, Zoro ran after Ricky to follow in his wake. "Red Blade… HURRICANE!!" Ricky spun around in midair holding _Akaikyuuketsuki_ in front of him with both hands, **SLA-SLISH! **Ricky slashed both of the Nyabans as he went passed, causing them to stop in their tracks.

"TIGER HUNT!!" shouted Zoro, he followed after Ricky and charged passed the Nyabans, slashing them with all three of his swords. **SLOSH!! **Zoro stopped next to Ricky while blood shot out of a bunch of gashed that had been made on the chest of the two Nyabans, they collapsed to the ground and rolled the rest of the way down the slope.

"They were right about the five seconds," Ricky said to Zoro. "But they got it backwards." Time seemed to slow down as everyone watched as Buchi rolled to a stop in front of Jango, then at once everyone turned back to the two Straw Hats swordsman, with one combined attack, they had taken out the Nyabans, what the Black Cat Pirates had been calling their secret weapon.

"THEY BEAT THE NYABANS!" exclaimed RP3 in disbelief.

"Don't worry," said Zoro, as he and Ricky turned to the other pirates.

"It won't even take us five minutes to thrash all of you," Ricky finished with a cold glare, causing the pirates to shudder and take a few steps back. One Eye had already beaten them all by himself, now he had that other guy to help him. The two of them had beaten their strongest fighters with one combined attack, none of them wanted to get involved with that.

"Try it," challenged Kuro.

Buchi suddenly reached out and grabbed Jango's ankle in desperation. "I… I'll kill 'em!" groaned Buchi, he could barely push himself up. "Please Captain… hypnotize me… please…"

"He's still alive!" commented Kuro. "I guess you two are a bit soft."

"We didn't _actually_ want to kill them," said Ricky as he put his now blood-free sword back in its sheath. "Unlike you, we're not dirty cut-throats. We have morals and don't kill without a reason."

"Besides, all that fat must've saved him," added Zoro. Kuro glared at the two swordsmen standing in front of him.

"RAWWWWRRR!" Buchi let out a loud growl of rage as he stood up. The gashes on his stomach had already healed and his fat had turned into muscle. He looked pissed.

"Oh no! Hypnotism again!" groaned Zoro as Buchi marched towards them.

"This is my chance," Nami thought to herself, as she rushed towards the Straw Hat Pirate who was trapped under the sternpost, "If I can just wake Luffy up… it's just like him to sleep through the whole fight!"

"Now what are you up to you meddling wench!" snapped Jango as he turned around and drew his hypno-disk again. "DIE!" he shouted as he threw the disk as Nami.

"Everyone else is risking their lives!" Nami shouted at Luffy. **SPLONK!!** With the speed she was running at Nami couldn't help 'accidentally' stepping on Luffy's head, "WAKE UP!"

"NAMI, HEADS UP!!" yelled Ricky as he watched the hypno-disk whiz at the orange-haired girl. Nami was surprised to hear Ricky_ yell_, she looked over her shoulder and gasped when she saw the metal disk of death whirling towards her.

**---x---**

**Humble Servant**

**---x---**

"Oh no!" exclaimed Nami. "I'll be split in two!! That disk, it's not just for hypnotizing people!"

"**Nami you jerk!**" came Luffy's voice from under Nami's foot. **WHAP! **Luffy grabbed Nami's foot off of his face and flipped her onto his back, then shot back up, **FWUMP!** "WHY'D YOU HAVE TO STEP ON MY HEAD!?"

**SHUNK!!** "Luffy!" exclaimed Nami as the hypno-disk whizzed over her and slammed into Luffy's face, causing him to bend backwards.

"What!?" exclaimed Jango in disbelief. "HE'S STILL ALIVE!"

"What lousy timing," commented Zoro.

"Maybe not," replied Ricky. "It would've killed Nami, but now Luffy's awake _and_ a bit pissed off."

Luffy slammed his foot down to the ground to keep his balance, HE HAD CAUGHT THE DISK IN HIS MOUTH!! "IMPOSSIBLE! HE'S STILL STANDING!" shouted Jango.

**KRUNCH!! **Luffy drove his teeth together and broke the hypno-disk to pieces.

"Luffy!" exclaimed Nami.

"That hurts…" groaned Luffy. "THAT HURTS!!!"

"He's fine," Ricky calmly stated as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Great buckets of blood," exclaimed a random Black Cat Pirate. "Now we've got less than three minutes!"

"NAMI! THAT HURT YOU BASTARD!!" yelled Luffy.

"IT WASN'T ME!!" snapped Nami. "It wasn't…" Nami trailed off and laid on her back

"Your shoulder's bleeding," observed Luffy as he noticed Nami's hand covering her left shoulder.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Nami told him. "I've done all I can, now I'll leave the rest to you. After all, this is one fight we've gotta win!!"

"Nami…" said Luffy with a smile.

"There's a lot of treasure on the line too," interrupted Nami.

"I shoulda figured," commented Luffy as his smile turned into a frown, that was more like her. He bent down and picked up his hat, then placed it on his head and started forward. The terrified Black Cat Pirates parted for Luffy and let him through.

"Buchi there's no time to think!" snapped Jango. "You kill the swordsman with a sash, and I'll take out the weird Straw Hat guy."

"Well, you heard him," Ricky said to Zoro. "If he meant me he would've said 'one-eyed brat' or something to that affect. The fat cat is yours."

"Hm… the evil butler's here too," observed Luffy as he noticed Kuro standing on top of the pass.

"That bastard," muttered Kuro. _"Didn't he fall off the cliff and die?"_

But then Usopp noticed someone coming out of the trees, and Kuro's cat-like hearing picked up someone coming up behind him. "Don't even think about sneaking up on me!" scolded Kuro as he started turning around.

"KAYA!!" screamed Usopp. **SLISH!** Usopp tackled Kaya to the ground, causing Kuro's claws to miss her.

Kaya rolled Usopp off of her and stared down at him with concern, "Usopp… are you alright?"

"Kaya, what are you doing here?" questioned Usopp.

"I'm sorry Usopp," apologized Kaya. "I know you might never forgive me for what I've done. I just can't believe that K-Klahadore is a pirate."

"That doesn't matter!" said Usopp. "Why did you come here? I told you to run away! He wants to kill you!"

"But aren't you fighting!?" exclaimed Kaya. "I did such a horrible thing to you. Yet you're hurt all over and _still_ fighting."

"Mistress Kaya… why are you here?" inquired Kuro as he stared at Kaya.

"Please stop," pleaded Kaya. "Please stop this Klahadore! Merry told me everything."

"Merry? He lived?" questioned Kuro. "I thought I killed him."

Everyone turned and stared at Kaya and Kuro. "Isn't that the girl that we're supposed to kill?" questioned Jango.

"She's our real target," realized random pirate number one. "We can just kill her here. We don't have to attack the village any more."

"Klahadore, please stop, I beg of you," pleaded Kaya. "If you want my fortune I'll give it to you. Just leave the village alone."

"Not good enough Miss. Kaya," replied Kuro. "Yes, I want your fortune but I also want Peace of Mind. I spent three years earning the trust of all of the villagers here. I've grown comfortable, I can even relax. But only when I have Peace of Mind and you fortune will my plan be accomplished. Therefore, the pirate attack on the village _will_ happen and then you will write a will and die. Those two parts are absolutely necessary."

"_No… he's not… Klahadore…"_ Kaya said to herself, still in denial.

"Kaya run!" instructed Usopp as he reached up and grabbed her ankle. "Don't waste your breath on him! He's not the man you knew!"

**KLICK!!** Kaya slowly pulled a pistol out form her coat and pointed it at Kuro's head. Everyone stared in shock that Kaya was doing something so… stupid.

"LEAVE THIS VILLAGE ALONE!" ordered Kaya.

"Hmm… you've really grown up in these last three years," commented Kuro. "And I've been at your side through all of those changes. Haven't I? Even before you lost your parents and became ill, we still spent a lot of time together. We went sailing together… we took trips to town… and when you had a fever I stayed at your bedside day and night. I suffered with you… I laughed with you. I was always your humble servant. I humored you Miss. Kaya, in all your silly dreams. And I endured it…" Through his speech Kuro slowly slipped one of the claw gloves off of his hand then reached out and grabbed the nozzle of the gun Kaya had pointed at him. "It all was for today…THE DAY I COULD KILL YOU!!"

Kaya struggled to fight back tears as Kuro pulled the gun away from her. "I, who was once the dreaded Captain Kuro… bowed and scrapped to a spoiled little girl… and catered to her every whim, day and night… can you fathom my humiliation? Me, the infamous Captain Kuro REDUCED TO A SERVANT!!"

Kuro dropped the gun on the ground in front of him, but Usopp reached forward and grabbed it, then shot to his feet and aimed it at Kuro. "KURO!" screamed Usopp. **FWISH!!** All in under a second Kuro moved out of the way, slipped the cat claws back on his hand, then appeared behind Usopp.

"Usopp, that reminds me…" said Kuro calmly as he enclosed the claws around Usopp's face. "I still owe you for hitting me. You used all of your strength, right?"

"U-Usopp…" said Kaya in fear.

**BAM!!** A rubber fist impacted with the side of Kuro's face, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Since you don't like being hit so much, I'll hit you a hundred times more!" vowed Luffy as his rubber arm retracted.

**---x---**

**The Steep Slope**

**---x---**

"What was that!?" exclaimed RP4, who had just witnessed his former Captain get knocked to the ground, "That kid! He sent Kuro sailing! From all the way up down there!"

Kuro was lying flat on his back with Kaya and Usopp looking on in shock. Luffy cracked his knuckles and prepared to hit him again.

"That tears it," commented RP3, "Captain Kuro is really mad now!" Maybe he was right, the former butler's glasses had been cracked and he had a trickle of blood dripping down from the corner of his mouth.

"**USOPP'S PIRATE CREW… REPORTING!**" shouted three voices, Carrot, Pepper, and Onion came rushing out from the trees holding and hit Kuro while he was down with a frying pan, a bat, and a shovel respectively. **BANG!! **

"Usopp's Pirate Crew, ready for action!" announced Carrot as he hit Kuro with a frying pan.** WAP!! WAP!!**

"Prepare yourself you smelly butt-ler!" snapped Pepper as he hit Kuro with a bat.** KOCK!!**

"Yeah you smelly butt-ler!" added Onion as he went to work on Kuro with his shovel.** WACK!!**

"You guys!?" exclaimed Usopp in shock as he watched the three village boys beat on the notorious pirate with their 'weapons'.

"Let's get him!" shouted Onion as he and the other two Veggie-Pirate continued hitting Kuro. **WAP! KOCK! WACK!**

"You pirates have disturbed the peace of our village!" yelled Pepper.

"We won't forgive you!" added Carrot.

"Those small fries are battering Captain Kuro!" screamed RP2, what would Kuro do to them?

"That's enough crew!" shrieked Usopp, "STOP!!!"

"What are those crazy kids thinking?" questioned Zoro.

"They're not thinking at all," replied Ricky as he watched they butler take his beating lying down.

"Alright, that oughta teach him," commented Carrot as he, Pepper, and Onion stopped their 'assault'.

"The Captain did come to fight him," Carrot said to the other two.

"Why didn't you tell us?" demanded Pepper. "That was dirty!"

"No!" disagreed Onion. "It's dishonest!"

"It doesn't matter!" snapped Usopp. "You'd better escape now! GO!"

"No, we're with you captain," refused Carrot.

"We won't run away," Pepper told Usopp. "We'll fight with you!"

"Usopp's Pirates shouldn't run away!" added Onion.

But suddenly, Kuro got back up, he reached up his palm and fixed his glasses, only for the shattered glass to go crumbling out of the frames.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" screamed the three Veggie-Pirates in fear.

"YOU MORONS, GET OUT OF HERE NOW!!" yelled Usopp.

But Kuro didn't attack them, instead he walked right passed the three boys as if they weren't even there.

**THWACK!! **Kuro kept walking, then lashed out with his leg and kicked Usopp in the face, sending him tumbling down the pass until he eventually stopped rolling and lay flat on his back.

"That hurt a bit," Kuro commented to Luffy. "You displayed an unusual ability. You must have the power of the Devil Fruit."

"That's right!" answered Luffy. "I ate the Gum Gum Fruit! I'm a rubber man!"

"What? The Devil Fruit?" questioned RP1. "It's not a myth? No wonder that kid is so strange!"

"A rubber man?" repeated Jango. "So when he stretched his arm, it wasn't an illusion. But how can he stand after getting hit in the head with my attack?"

"JANGO!" Kuro shouted suddenly. "I'll kill the Rubber Man, you deal with Miss. Kaya! Force her to write the will, as planned, then… kill her!"

"By the way," added Kuro almost as an afterthought, while glancing at the Veggie Pirates out of the corner of his eye. "Kill those three kids too. They're annoying."

"Yes sir," replied Jango, as he started up the pass. But Zoro and Ricky blocked the hypnotist's path.

"Going somewhere?" questioned Ricky who still had his hands in his pockets.

"We won't let you passed," Zoro told the hypnotist.

"BUCHI!" shouted Jango, calling the fat cat to his aid.

The recently hypnotized Buchi growled then leapt up into the air, "CAT-A-PULT…. CAT-ASTROPHE!!" screamed Buchi.

"Heads up," advised Ricky.

"Not that again," complained Zoro, as the two of them quickly jumped out of the way.

**KATOOM!! **Buchi came crashing down and smashed the ground under him, causing chunks of it to fly up and pieces of the cliffs to drop down. Zoro and Ricky struggle to stay balanced. "HE BROKE THE GROUND!" shouted the three Veggie-Pirates.

"He's yours," said Ricky, as he turned and ran off.

"Oh gee, thanks!" Zoro yelled after Ricky, who had ran off after Jango, who had started up the pass while they were distracted by Buchi.

"Wow, what is that guy?" wondered Luffy, who had been asleep for all of Zoro and Ricky's battle with the Nyabans.

Buchi charged at Zoro, looking to tear him apart with his claws. **KA-BAM!!** Zoro blocked Buchi's claws with one of his swords but was pushed back into the wall of one of the cliffs due to Buchi's increased strength. Zoro quickly brought up his foot and pressed it into Buchi's face to keep him away.

Jango walked up the path passed Usopp, but the marksman was still on the ground from when Kuro kicked him and could barely move. _"I'm too dizzy to stand up,"_ mumbled Usopp who was still reeling from the kick to the face, and the mallet to his head. _"But I gotta stop that guy!!" _Quickly he came up with a temporary solution, "USOPP'S PIRATES!"

"Yes sir?" asked the three Veggie-Pirates at the same time as they rushed to stand in Jango's path.

"I'm warning you, we mean business," Carrot warned Django.

"We're not going to run away, when our Captain needs us," added Pepper as he held his bat and got ready to fight.

"We'll make you pay for what you did to the Captain!" exclaimed Onion.

"YOU HAVE TO PROTECT MISS KAYA!" Usopp shouted at the three Veggie-Pirates, "I'm entrusting you with the most important job of all! Get Kaya away from here safely! Don't say you can't! Because protecting what we cherish is why we formed this pirate crew!"

"Usopp…" said Kaya.

"That is… the Captain's order…" continued Usopp.

"That was a good speech," Zoro commented quietly. "He's getting them to run away."

"Fools," snapped Jango as he pulled out two hypno-disks, while the three Veggie-Pirate helped Kaya up, and started leading her off into the forest, "Do you think you can stop me?"

"**They might not be able to, but **_**I **_**can**_**,**_**"** came Ricky's voice as he suddenly appeared in between Jango and the Veggie-Pirates. "Don't worry Usopp, I won't let anything happen to them… I promise."

Ricky looked over his shoulder at Carrot, Pepper, and Onion, "Get her into the trees," he ordered the three boys. "I'll catch up."

Ricky started running after them but a set of five claws stopped his progression. "Now where exactly do you think you're going?" questioned Kuro.

"Get out of my way," commanded Ricky as he drew Akakyuuketsuki.

"Are you threatening me?" asked Kuro.

"Yes!" replied Ricky as he swung his sword at Kuro, **SLISH!!** Kuro disappeared and did another one of his Creeping Cat Maneuvers. In less than a second Kuro moved out of the way and dodged Ricky's attack, then slipped behind him and slashed with his claws. **KLANG!!** RICKY BLOCKED THE ATTACK WITH HIS FOOT!!

"He blocked it!" exclaimed Usopp as he stared at Ricky who was using the steel sole of his boot to keep Kuro's cat claws at bay.

"Ricky that was awesome!" cheered Luffy. The movement had taken less than half a second, no one had ever seen someone block one of Kuro's Black Cat Manuvers.

Jango stared in front of him in surprise. "Im-impossible… he blocked one of Captain Kuro's Creeping Cat Maneuvers!"

"How did you block that?" asked Kuro, he looked slightly surprised.

"You're a dirty cut-throat," explained Ricky. "As soon as you disappeared I knew you'd try to attack me from behind."

"JANGO! Don't just stand there! Go after those kids!" ordered Kuro.

"Oh crap! I blanked out," cursed Jango. "I won't let those brats escape!" Jango continued on his way.

**THWACK!! **Jango was struck in the back by a lead projectile and fell forward on his face **FWUMP!!** "That's what you get," snapped Usopp, who had hit Jango in the back with a lead ball.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" shouted Jango from the ground, "THAT HURT!"

Through the whole incident with Jango, Ricky had discreetly slid his hand into his top right pocket and pulled something out.

"Hey Kuro, think fast!" called out Ricky, suddenly he shot up and swung his other leg around at Kuro's head. **SWISH!** Kuro disappeared and did another one of his Creeping Cat Maneuvers. As if Ricky was moving in slow motion, Kuro ducked under his leg, then pulled back his claws and slashed them forward. **KA-BOOOM!!** Kuro hadn't been paying attention to Ricky's arm and didn't noticed the red ball in it before it hit the ground and exploded. Even though Kuro was moving incredibly fast, he still couldn't see through the smoke screen created by the Explosion Ball.

When the smoke finally cleared Ricky was gone and Kuro was glaring angrily at the black ring left on the ground from Ricky's Explosion Ball. _"That bastard got away,"_ Kuro cursed to himself. "JANGO GET UP AND FOLLOW THEM!"

"Yes sir," answered Jango as he fought up off of the ground. Then rushed passed Kuro into the trees after Ricky.

**---x---**

In the trees Ricky had made his escape and managed to catch up with Kaya and the three Veggie-Pirates. "Here I'll take her," said Ricky, after cutting his arm and putting his sword away. "Get her on my back."

"But you're hurt," replied Kaya as she noticed the claw marks that were on Ricky's chest.

"That doesn't matter," Ricky told her. "I promised Usopp that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Kaya nodded, then wrapped her arms around Ricky's shoulders when he turned around. Ricky hoisted the girl up higher, then turned to the Veggie-Pirates. "You three know this forest, right? Get us out of here."

"Right, this way!" replied Carrot, as he, Pepper and Onion led Ricky deeper into the forest.

**---x---**

"You'd better hope your friend can hold off Jango," commented Kuro to Usopp. "I, more than anyone, know how frail that girl's body is. They'll never escape Jango. If you want to help her, go ahead... but… you have to get up this pass first!"

Both Kuro and Buchi were preventing Usopp from going after Kaya, "Damn it!" cursed Usopp, "now that tables have turned!" Instead of them stopping the Black Cat Pirates from getting up the pass, the Black Cat Pirates were stopping them from getting up the pass.

"Usopp," came Luffy's voice from the bottom of the pass, causing Usopp to turn his attention to Luffy and Zoro, "Leave it to us."

**---x---**

The battle against the Black Cat Pirates is still far from over. Kuro, Jango, and Buchi are all hell-bent on killing Kaya and getting her fortune. But the Straw Hats and the Veggie Pirates are all ready to stop them. Things are going to pick up. Next chapter, Kaya, Ricky, and the Veggie Pirates are trying to escape through the forest, but they have to deal with Jango coming after them.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	19. Chapter 18

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, it wouldn't be nearly as good. Eiichiro Oda is a genius who I greatly admire.

**After Them!:**

**---x---**

"Look behind us," ordered Ricky as he chased after the Veggie-Pirates with Kaya on his back, "Is the Hypnotist still following us?"

"Nope, I don't see him," reported Onion as he chanced a glance back.

"Nobody can catch us in these woods," boasted Carrot.

"I'd feel safer if he wasn't chasing us at all," commented Ricky.

"Don't worry," said Onion. "We'll get you through the forest safely."

"It's the honor of Usopp's Pirates," added Pepper.

"I don't need you guys to protect me," Ricky told them, "I'm here to make sure _you_ don't get killed."

"You four really shouldn't…" Kaya started to say from on Ricky's back.

"Do you hear that?" Ricky suddenly interrupted, "Duck."

The three Veggie-Pirates dove to the ground, while Ricky leapt to the side. **SHUWAKAWAKA!! **A split second later one of Jango's hypno-rings came whizzing passed them. **KRA-KRASH! THUD!!** The disk had sliced through a row of trees and had cut all of them down.

"YIKES!" shouted Carrot, the metal disk had passed right over his head.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" yelled Pepper.

"It was one of that Hypnotist's hypno-rings," answered Ricky. "Not only do they hypnotize people, they're deadly weapons. Now stop screaming or he'll hear us."

"_They're not here,"_ commented Jango to himself, as he peered through the trees, in hopes of spotting something. "STOP HIDING YOU ROTTON BRATS! DON'T THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME!"

"It's him!" shrieked Onion, "He's not a typical traveling hypnotist after all!"

"What did I tell you about shouting?" questioned Ricky as he glanced over his shoulder.

All five of them were silent for the next few moments, then Ricky spoke, "Let's keep moving." The three boys nodded then led Ricky and Kaya deeper into the forest and through the trees.

"If you don't come out," Jango threatened through the trees, "Then I'll cut down this entire forest if I have to!"

**---x---**

**KRA-KRASH! THUD!**

"What's that sound?" asked Usopp after hearing something that sounded like trees being cut down.

"It's probably Jango finishing off your friends," answered Kuro. "Go see for yourself, though you may be too late."

"You'd better go and help them," Zoro said to Usopp.

"If you can," added Kuro.

"Why you!" snapped Usopp as he fought back up to his feet, "YOU LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE AS HER FOR THREE YEARS! DON'T YOU HAVE AN OUNCE OF FEELING FOR HER!?"

"Not an ounce," replied Kuro. "As I said, Kaya was a pawn I needed to further my plan. When she dies, then I'll say my thanks."

"That irredeemable scoundrel," commented Zoro as he glared up the pass at Kuro.

"Who wants to redeem him?" asked Luffy.

"_If I don't hurry they'll all be killed!"_ Usopp thought frantically, "I'll never let you win! There's not a second to lose!" Usopp slowly managed to struggle up to his feet, he was in a lot of pain and could barely sand but he needed to protect Kaya and his crew.

"You can move?" questioned Kuro as he watched the bloody and battered Usopp stagger up the pass. "Impressive. BUCHI!"

"I'LL SLICE HIM TO PIECES!" roared Buchi as he rushed at Usopp, but suddenly Butchie stopped and stood still, there was a sword blade positioned at his neck.

"Get out of my way," Zoro ordered the hypnotized cat, "I'M IN A HURRY!" **WHOMP!! **Zoro suddenly grabbed Butchie then launched forwards driving the back of Buchi's head down to the ground.

Zoro quickly moved around so he was crouching on top of Buchi but still had the sword positioned at his neck, "You've caused enough trouble! Now if you stay down and shut up, I may let you live!"

**FWUMP!! **Usopp who had been rushing up the pass collapsed to the ground, with his butt up in the air. He didn't have enough strength left, taking as stone mallet to the head can do that to you. "Usopp!" exclaimed Luffy in alarm.

"Oh no," said Usopp, mostly to himself, "My body can't move."

"You look ridiculous!" taunted Kuro, "But you're much safer on the ground. If you caught up with Jango he'd only kill you."

"Doesn't matter," snapped Usopp, "I'VE GOTTA PROTECT THOSE KIDS!"

Everyone stared at Usopp after his loud shout, and while Zoro was distracted Buchi managed push the swordsman off of him. **SWAK!!** Buchi shot out one of his arms and lashed at Zoro, but the Swordsman blocked it. **KA-WHAM!! **Zoro was sent flying backwards and crashed into the side of the cliff. Buchi growled in anger as he got back up to his feet.

"I'm their Captain, and they're my crew!" exclaimed Usopp, "I'm a Brave Warrior of the Sea! And I won't let you lay a finger on those kids! I love everyone in that village, AND I WON'T LET YOU KILL THEM!!"

"Hahaha! Look at him, shouting threats with his rump in the air," laughed RP2. "He's worse than a dog!"

**KRASH!!** A large chunk of rock from the cliff above the random pirate came crashing down, they had to leap out of the way to dodge it.

**"Laugh at Usopp again and I'll kill you!"** growled Luffy, who had punched the cliff to make the rock go crashing down. At that moment he really looked like he'd actually do it. That shut the random pirates up rather quickly.

Meanwhile Buchi leapt at Zoro, **KLANG!!** Zoro got up the two swords he had in his hands and blocked Buchi's claws with them. "Hey Buchi!" snapped Zoro as he held back Buchi, "You already lost to me once, I told you already, stay out of my way! Are you deaf or just stupid!?"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Zoro. **THWACK!!** Zoro lashed out his leg and kicked Butchie in the face, sending him staggering backwards. With Buchi's guard broken Zoro surged forward and slashed him with his swords, **SLISH!!! **Zoro made two more gashes on Buchi's stomach and sent him flying up into the air.

Zoro put his three swords away then… **FWUMP!! **Buchi came plummeting out of the sky and slammed down to the ground.

Even if Kuro was surprised his didn't show it, he just fixed his glasses with his palm. Usopp looked on in shock from his spot on the ground.

"But Buchi was hypnotized!" exclaimed RP4 in disbelief.

"Luffy, I'll carry Usopp and go after that Hypnotist," said Zoro as he sheathed his swords. "But Ricky probably finished the bastard off already. Got a problem with that?"

"Nope!" replied Luffy as Zoro lifted Usopp up onto his shoulder, "Just hurry up and go!"

"Sorry," apologized Usopp from on Zoro's shoulder, he didn't want to look weak by being carried.

"I'd be a lot faster if I was on my own," Zoro told Usopp, as he rushed up the pass, "But I don't know my way around that forest. So I need you to guide me. Otherwise I'd get lost."

"Hey you!" snapped Kuro as he got ready to attack the charging swordsman, "Who gave you permission to go up this slope?"

**SHWOOM!! **"I DID!" yelled Luffy as he shot out his fist looking to punch Kuro in the face again. **KRAK!! **The evil butler dodged the attack and Luffy ended up driving his fist into a tree and broke it in half. "GO ZORO!"

Zoro ran passed while Luffy shouted, "TAKE THIS BUTT-LER!" while throwing another punch at Kuro. **SHWOO!! **Luffy missed because Kuro wasn't standing there any more. "Where did he go?" asked Luffy out loud.

Kuro appeared behind Luffy, **SWASH!! **Kuro slashed his arm around looking to cut him with his claws, but Luffy dropped down onto his hands in time to dodge it. While still standing on his hands, Luffy lifted up his legs and brought them together, "GUM… GUM… SPEAR!!" Luffy shot his legs out at Kuro like a giant missile, **SHWOOM!! **Once again Kuro had disappeared and Luffy missed him.

"Hey he's disappeared again," commented Luffy as he got back onto his feet, "Oh well, Zoro made it up the slope." Luffy turned around and eventually spotted Kuro standing behind him.

"That kid's going at it with Captain Kuro!" exclaimed RP2, no one went against Captain Kuro and lived!

"Before we fight seriously, I have a question to ask," said Kuro as he stared at Luffy, "Why are you, an outsider, sticking your neck out for this village?"

"Because," answered Luffy, "There's someone in this village I don't want you to kill."

**---x---**

With the distraction Luffy had given them, Usopp and Zoro had managed to make it into the woods and were darting through the trees in an attempt to catch up with Jango.

"I told you to go east! East damn it!" shouted Usopp from Zoro's back, "I SAID GO EAST!"

"How do I know which way is east?" snapped Zoro, "Just say left or right!"

"Okay then turn around and face right!" yelled Usopp.

"You mean we're going backwards?" questioned Zoro.

**---x---**

"That's it?" asked Kuro as he kept his glaze on Luffy, "but is that really enough to die for?"

"It's good enough for me!" snapped Luffy as he and Kuro got into a fighting stances, "but _I'M_ not gonna get killed!

**---x---**

**KER-RASH!!** A cluster of trees fell to the ground and Jango walked through them in search of Kaya. "Now where did they run off to!?" Jango yelled out loud after slicing down some more trees. This was getting really annoying.

"_I need to stop and fight him," _Ricky thought to himself. "We can't keep running like this," Ricky said to Kaya and the Veggie-Pirates, "We have to do something."

"What?" asked Pepper.

"I want you guys to keep going with Kaya," Ricky instructed Carrot, Onion, and Pepper. "I'm going to stay here and fight Hypnofreak."

"_You're _going to fight him?" questioned Onion. "What if he hypnotizes you?"

"I won't let him," replied Ricky, "I can take him."

"You don't have to do this," Kaya told Ricky. "I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."

"I made a promise to Usopp and I'm gonna keep it," Ricky assured her. "I'm gonna make sure nothing happens to you, and the only way to do that is to take out the hypnotist."

"But does it have to be you?" asked Kaya, as she glanced at the slash marks going across the one-eyed pirate's chest, "You're already hurt. Don't you think it would be safer to leave it to someone else?"

"I've had worse," replied Ricky. "Besides, when you're a pirate you have to be willing to put your life on the line when it's important. The four of you are important to Usopp, so I'll do everything I can to make sure you get out of this alive. Even if it means I won't."

"W-what do you want us to do?" asked Carrot timidly.

"I need you three to get Kaya as far away from here as possible," Ricky instructed the Veggie-Pirates. "Make sure she's safe and whatever you do, don't come back. You have to keep going no matter what you see, no matter what you hear. Even if you hear me screaming in pain and agony, you'll keep going, got it?"

"S-sure," stuttered Pepper.

"Just so we're perfectly clear," clarified Ricky. "If you see the hypnofreak, run. Don't try and fight him. If you see me, run faster. I could be hypnotized. I need to fight him alone, if you four are here he could use you against me."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure nothing happens to Miss. Kaya!" Pepper told Ricky.

"Come on Miss Kaya!" instructed Onion as he took Kaya's hand and started to lead her off into the woods.

But Kaya stopped before Usopp's Pirates could pull her off and turned to face Ricky, "Thank you," Kaya said, "This really isn't your fight. But you're still risking your life trying to save me and my village."

"With this pirate crew… it's kind of what we do," replied Ricky with a shrug. "But I haven't saved you yet, get going." Kaya followed the three Veggie-Pirates off into the forest.

"That takes care of them," commented Ricky.

**KRASH! KRASH!! **Off in distance another group of trees were cut down. "Time to stop hiding. Now I need to be found."

**---x---**

**Captain Kuro of the Thousand Plans**

**---x---**

"Die!" shouted Kuro as he rushed at Luffy.

"Not today," replied Luffy as he reached his arms behind him.

"There they go!" announced RP3. This battle was finally getting started.

Luffy launched his arms out and grabbed onto Kuro's arms, then pulled himself forward while bringing his knees up into his chest. He was planning on kicking Kuro right in the face.

But before Luffy could follow up, Kuro spun around and flipped his arms, **WHAM!! **Luffy went back-first into the ground and start tumbling away.

Luffy drove one of his hands into the ground and held himself up in the air with it then shouted "GUM… GUM… WHIP!!" **BWOING!!** Luffy launched out his rubber leg and whipped it around at Kuro.

Kuro jumped over Luffy's leg and dodged the attack but in a flash the Straw Hat Pirate was back on his feet, then he launched out his arm, "AND… PISTOL!" **WHOMF!! **Luffy's arm rocketed forward looking to punch Kuro in the face while he was in mid air, **FWOOM!!** But Luffy's fist just sailed through thin air because Kuro had disappeared again.

"He's standing on his arm!" RP2 exclaimed when Kuro reappeared.

"You bore me boy," said Kuro while balancing on Luffy's extended arm. Luffy grabbed onto his upper arm then yanked it back. "Stupid child," muttered Kuro as he ran along Luffy's arm towards him, **THWAK!! **Kuro lashed out his leg and kicked Luffy in the face.

Luffy's straw hat was knocked off from the hit and he went tumbling down towards the bottom of the pass. **WUMP!! TUMP!! BUMP!! FWUMP!! **Luffy eventually stopped and sat up, his lip was bleeding.

"That Straw Hat kid was supposed to be really tough," RP2 said to the others.

"The kid is good but the Captain is better," replied RP1.

Luffy pulled himself up off of the ground, then noticed he was bleeding, "Darn," cursed Luffy, "I cut my lip."

"FINISH HIM CAPTAIN KURO!" cheered the random Black Cat Pirates.

"Yeah, murder him!" RP2 added, while the rest of the pirates started chanting, **_'Kuro' _**over and over.

"NEVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" Kuro suddenly screamed at his former pirate crew. That shut them up rather quickly.

Luffy looked on in confusion, he didn't get while this butler-guy was yelling at his own crew.

"You still don't get it do you?" questioned Kuro as he glared at the random Black Cat Pirates. "This whole plan's purpose was to utterly do away with Captain Kuro!"

Kuro paused to fix his glasses before continuing, "Crafting a thousand plans for slobbering idiots with nothing but plunder on their minds… it tired me. And what did my hard work win me? The entire navy on my heels! I've been hunted by marines and spies and bounty hunters. I grew sick of the relentless harassment. So on that fateful day three years ago, I decided that I had to die!"

Being a typical evil villain, Kuro began telling Luffy his evil plan in its entirety since he was positive it would prevail. Three years ago, Kuro had a discussion with 'One Two' Jango, his First Mate at the time. He was getting tired of living a life as a criminal and being constantly chased by marines due to the 16,000,000 berries on his head. It was then that Kuro decided that he was going to quit being Captain Kuro. But Jango pointed out that since Kuro was a wanted man and that the marines would chase him until he died. Kuro decided that he _was_ going to die and that Jango would take over as the Captain… but first he had to take care of the current marine attack.

Kuro got a row boat from his crew and sailed for the marine ship that had been firing on them all on his own. The cannon fire stopped as soon as Kuro reached the ship, and when the rest of his crew arrived, it became clear that Kuro had slaughtered everyone. There were dead marines and claw marks all over the ship. There was only one marine left alive, and that was one that he had particularly spared. The blond marine cried from Kuro to just kill him and be done with it, but Kuro kicked him in the jaw and broke it. Then told the marine: "You should be grateful. You're going to capture the infamous Captain Kuro."

Jango had taken one of the Black Cat Pirates that had black hair and classes and bore a slight resemblance of the Captain. Jango hypnotized the pirate to think that he was Kuro of a Thousand Plans and that he had slaughtered all the marines. Then Jango hypnotized the marine… and himself… into thinking that he had captured 'Kuro'. The Black Cat Pirates left Kuro's replacement tied to the mast and left the ship. The marine reinforcements arrived 'Kuro' was brought to a marine base in Shell Town and was executed by firing squad. The marine that had caught 'Kuro' had his broken jaw replaced with a metal one and had his slashed arm replaced with an axe. He eventually became known to the world as Marine Captain 'Axe-Arm' Morgan, the man who killed Kuro of a Thousand Plans. Captain Kuro was dead to the world.

The real Kuro was dropped off on the island he was currently on, and instructed Jango to come back in three years time. Kuro took the name Klahadore and spent the next three years working as a butler in Kaya's mansion and gained the trust off all the villagers. No one suspected anything when Kaya's parents died two years after Kuro arrived. Kaya was depressed by the loss of her parents and became sick and bed-ridden. She met Usopp and he did what he could to cheer he up but she stayed confined to her mansion.

Today, was the day that Kuro's plan was _supposed_ to be completed. Jango and his crew would arrive, they'd charge up the pass – kill Usopp if he got in the way – and attack the village. They'd rough up the villagers but wouldn't kill them, then they'd charged Kaya's house. Jango was to hypnotize Kaya into writing her will and leaving her fortune to her butler Klahadore and then she would 'accidentally die' in the pirate attack. Kuro would be left with Kaya's money and Kaya's fortune and no one would suspect anything. Klahadore would have legally inherited money and would be well off for the rest of his life without having to worry about the marines coming after him. He'd have peace.

But things hadn't gone as planned. Luffy and his crew showed up. Usopp, Nami, and Ricky had stopped the pirates at the pass. Zoro and Ricky took on the crew's secret weapon: the Nyaban Brothers. Then Ricky and the Veggie Pirates took Kaya into the forest and were hiding her from Jango. Zoro had finished off the last Nyaban and took Usopp into the forest to provide backup for Ricky and Veggie Pirates. Ricky, Zoro, and Usopp were all in the forest looking to stop Jango and Kuro couldn't go to help him due to being caught up in a fight with Luffy at the pass.

The pirates hadn't reached the village and Kaya was still alive. The plan was going all wrong and it was angering Kuro greatly. His three year plan was being disrupted and ruined because of four _teenagers_ that called themselves pirates. Kuro needed to get this rubber brat out of the way, then he'd take care of the rest of Luffy's crew. Jango would be left to hypnotize Kaya into leaving her will and the attack could still go on as planned with Kaya 'accidentally' dying in the process. Kuro wouldn't allow these nuisances to ruin his three-year plan. He was Kuro 'of a Thousand Plans' and he couldn't allow his final plan to fail. He HAD to beat this straw hat brat, he HAD to kill those three in the forest, Kaya HAD to write the will and she HAD to die. His plan COULDN'T fail!

"Can you understand that you brat!?" Kuro demanded, "There's no room for error in my three year plan!" Kuro then rushed at Luffy with his cat claws ready to strike, "MY PLANS NEVER FAIL!"

But Luffy suddenly reached down and tore a large chunk of rock out from the ground, then held it up in front of him. **CHINK!! **Kuro kept charging and ended up imbedding the claws on his right arm into the rock.

"So stretching isn't your only talent," commented Kuro as he attempted to pull his claws out of the rock, only to find that they were wedged inside.

"Nope," replied Luffy, "I've been training to be a pirate!" Luffy suddenly spun to the side, **KA-RACK!! **The five blades on Kuro's right hand broke clean off.

"HE BROKE THE CAPTAIN'S CAT CLAWS!" exclaimed RP4.

"You said you were tired," said Luffy as he brought back the rock, "If you don't want to become famous… THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE A PIRATE!" **WHAM!! **Luffy quickly swung his rock forward and connected with the side of Kuro's head, sending him crumbling down to the ground, and tumbling away.

"And if you wanna compare plans," continued Luffy, "MINE'S MUCH BIGGER!"

**---x---**

Luffy and Ricky are going up against Kuro and Jango next chapter. And Kuro has something sinister in store for his former pirate crew.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	20. Chapter 19

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, it wouldn't be nearly as good. Eiichiro Oda is a genius who I greatly admire.

**Pirate Crew:**

**---x---**

"Now you only have five sword-claws left," Luffy pointed out to Kuro, who was laying flat on his back. **WHAM!** Luffy tossed the big rock with the five claws embedded in it off to the side so he could continue to fight the evil butt-ler.

"Blast him!" snapped RP3. "He broke the Captain's claws!"

Luffy smirked as Kuro got up off the ground. The rock's contact with Kuro's head had opened gash on the side of his face and blood was leaking out of it.

"Captain Kuro! You've still got the claws on your other hand!" called out RP2. "Slash him with those!"

"He just told us not to call him that!" scolded RP1.

"In the town he's called Klaha-something," said RP3.

"Let's call him Mr. Claw!" decided RP4.

"FINISH HIM MR. CLAW!!" cheered the random pirates as well as the rest of the conscious Black Cat Pirates.

"SHUT UP!" snapped Kuro, "I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER! THAT GOES FOR JANGO TOO!"

Luffy looked on in surprise while RP4 shouted, "WHY US TOO!?"

"Wait!" exclaimed RP1, who had just been told by his former Captain that he, and the rest of the crew, were going to be killed. "Stop joking around Captain Kuro. It's not too late to attack the village, right? If Jango makes the girl write the will your plan will still succeed!"

"Don't worry your heads about my plan," Kuro told the random pirates, "If none of you lives to tell the tale, I can pin all the blame on you. I never intended to let any of you leave here alive. I can't let anyone live who knows my true identity."

"But that means he meant to kill us all along!" shrieked RP2.

"Of course," replied Kuro. "Even three years ago when I was still Captain Kuro, it was all part of my plan!"

"Are you stupid?" Luffy asked the random pirates. "What a bunch of dumb pirates."

"Dumb?" repeated Kuro. "Of course, pirates are society's cast-offs. Without a leader they're helpless. Their job was to shut up and follow my plan! Pirates should be faithful pawns of their Captain, they live by my command. They should have followed my plan no matter what sprang up to impede them. They should have died trying to fulfill my plan! THAT'S THE WAY OF THE PIRATE! A LITTLE BRAT LIKE YOU SHOULD JUST LEARN TO KEEP HIS SMART MOUTH SHUT!"

"Even if you were Captain with one hundred obedient men, you still wouldn't beat Usopp," Luffy stated, causing the random pirates to stop worrying about being killed and listen.

"What?" questioned Kuro. "Me, lose to a _pretend_ pirate?"

"You will," replied Luffy.

"How amusing," commented Kuro, "DON'T GET COCKY JUST BECAUSE YOU BROKE MY CAT CLAWS! TELL ME, WHY WOULD I LOSE TO HIM!?" **WHOOM!! **Kuro disappeared.

"Your brain," answered Luffy with a grin.

"What!?" demanded Kuro as he appeared behind Luffy.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING A PIRATE!" Luffy shouted as he shot his arm out behind him and swung it around, **WHAK!!** Luffy connected with the side of Kuro's head and sent him flying into the side of the cliff. **KRASH!!**

"He tracked one of the Captain Black Cat Maneuvers!" exclaimed RP3.

Luffy retracted his arm and when the dust settled Kuro was sitting on the ground looking pissed. "Now you've insulted me, if you want to talk about _real_ pirates, let me show you just how terrifying a real pirate can be! I'll show you the ferocity of a pirate who has faced a thousand deaths!" Kuro slowly got back up and glared at Luffy. Then he hunched forward and started swinging his arms from side to side.

"That stance!" exclaimed RP1.

"Is he going to use _that_ attack?" wondered RP2.

"That attack against _one_ opponent!?" questioned RP3.

"It's the Out-of-the-Bag attack!" yelled RP2, "He's going to use the Out-of-the-Bag attack!"

"We shouldn't be standing here," realized RP1.

"We're in range!" shrieked RP3.

"He'll slaughter us too! He'll kill us all!" screamed RP4.

"Isn't that what he said earlier?!" panicked RP3.

Luffy glanced at the pirates in confusion, he didn't see what was so scary, the butler just had bad posture now.

"Please stop Captain Kuro!" begged RP3.

"Don't do it!" urged RP2.

"We'll do anything you want!" offered RP1.

"Please Captain Kuro!" pleaded RP4.

"What's going on?" wondered Luffy. "He's just swinging his arms back and forth."

Luffy was about to get his answer, Kuro stopped swinging his arms, his eye were blank and he shouted, "OUT-OF-THE-BAG ATTACK!!" Kuro disappeared completely and a purple shockwave went down the pass passed Luffy and towards the pirates gathered at the bottom.

**---x---**

"Too bad," Nami commented to herself as she carried a sack of treasure out of the treasure room on the Black Cat Pirates' ship. "I though there would be more treasure here."

"I wonder how the fight's going," said Nami as she walked over to the railing and looked over it. "Why are they just standing around? Is the fight over?"

**---x---**

**SLASH!!!** One of the random pirates was slashed across the chest by an invisible blade, blood burst from the wound and he collapsed to the ground, crying in pain.

"It's begun!" shrieked RP3, who had been standing next to the pirate that had been slashed.

"What!?" questioned Luffy, "How did he get killed?"

**SLASH!!** A pirate was slashed across the back and dropped down to his knees. **KLANK!! **Five long cut appeared on the cliff wall beside Luffy, "He attacked the rock!"

**SLISH!!** "AAAAAHHH!" Another one of the pirates screamed as he was cut down by nothing.

**SLISH! SLISH! SLASH!!** The pirates were being slashed left and right, Kuro was killing everyone.

"CAPTAIN KURO PLEASE STOP!" pleaded RP4 who was practically crying. **SLISH! SLOSH!!** The two pirates standing next to him were cut down before he even finished speaking.

"This is a blind attack using one of the Black Cat Maneuvers!" exclaimed RP1. "He's moving so fast he doesn't even know what he's attacking!

"In the past he's killed countless numbers _of our own men_ with that move!" added RP2. **SLASH!!** "AAAAHH!" RP2 was cut across the back and fell to the ground.

**---x---**

"_What's going on down there!?"_ wondered Nami in alarm as she watched from up on the ship. _"Why is everyone_ _getting killed so suddenly!?"_

**---x---**

Luffy just stared down the pass as the Black Cat Pirates were cut down one-by-one. He was staring so intently he didn't even notice when he got slashed near his collar bone.

**SLISH! SLISH! SLASH! KLANK!! SLOSH!!** The attacks kept coming, the Black Cat Pirates, Luffy, and parts of the pass were all cut by Kuro's attack. _"Show yourself butler…"_ Luffy said to himself as one of his eyes started twitching. Blood was dripping down passed it from where his temple had been cut without him noticing.

"HOW COULD YOU ATTACK YOUR OWN CREW!!?" hollered Luffy.

"Luffy?" questioned Nami, from up on the ship.

**---x---**

"Stop hiding you brats!" shouted Jango, but then he caught sight of Ricky who was leaning against a tree making no attempt to hide.

"Who's hiding?" asked Ricky. "I was waiting for you and I was starting to get bored. If you want to get to Kaya and those kids, you'll have to go through me."

"Have it your way then," replied Jango as he pulled out one of his hypno-disks and started swinging it side-to-side. "When I say, '_one, two,_ _Jango_' you will lead me to the girl. One… two… JANGO!!"

Ricky stood up straight and slowly stepped away from the tree, Ricky held one of his arms up in front of him and showed Jango something… it was his middle finger.

"WHAT!?" shouted Jango in outrage. "I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO DO THAT!? WHY ISN'T MY HYPNOSIS WORKING!?"

A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face, "Hypnosis only works on the feeble-minded and those who believe in it. Since I am neither of those, you're gonna have to do better than that."

"FINE! I'LL JUST HAVE TO KILL YOU!" shouted Jango as threw two hypno-disks at Ricky. **SHUWAKAWAKA!!**

But instead of running to move out of the way, Ricky drew Akaikyuuketsuki then charged forward. When the disks got close, Ricky jumped up and dove in between them, one disk whizzed over him, and the other soared underneath him.

Once the hypno-disks went passed, Ricky landed on the ground, then rushed at Jango. "Red Blade… LIGHTNING STRIKE!" Before Jango could blink, Ricky shot towards him and slashed his sword, **SLISH!! **Ricky ended up behind Jango as the cut going from Jango's left shoulder to his right side opened and started bleeding.

"Unnngggg," Jango dropped down to his knees and held his hands over the wound.

"That was for Nami," said Ricky as he turned to face the hypnotist.

**---x---**

**For Whom the Bell Tolls**

**---x---**

"SHOW YOURSELF BUTLER!!!" hollered Luffy as he watched the random Black Cat Pirates yell in pain from the wounds their _Captain_ had inflicted on them.

Luffy's voice had drawn the invisible Kuro towards him, because the next second,** SHINK!!** Luffy was slashed across the stomach by Kuro's claws. Luffy ignored the pain and the blood, then reached out and grabbed… something. **THOOM!! **Luffy quickly spun around and drove whatever he was holding down into the ground.

"Gotcha," said Luffy as he stared down at Kuro.

"Curse you!" snapped Kuro as he fought up off of the ground, "Why won't you just die? Instead of dying quickly my poor pawns are suffering." Down at the bottom of the pass was a cluster of bloody bodies. All of the Black Cat Pirates were wounded and on the ground, some where probably dead.

But Luffy didn't take his eyes off of Kuro, "You have something to say?" asked Kuro, not really caring.

"I do," answered Luffy as he cast a glance to the side and saw that his straw hat was safe on the ground where he had left it. "I'm never going to become a pirate like _you_."

"Don't worry you little fool," said Kuro as he pointed his five cat claws at Luffy's face. Luffy just continued to stare at Kuro, as if the blades weren't even there. "You could NEVER be like me! Anyway, I'm about to kill you!" Kuro backed away from Luffy and stood at the top of the pass, then he hunched forward and started swaying his arms back and forth again.

"I WON'T LET YOU!" yelled Luffy, **SWAP!!** Luffy jumped at Kuro and latched onto him, wrapping his arms and legs around Kuro. "Now try your fancy footwork!" Where ever Kuro went, he would have to take Luffy with him. The Straw Hat Pirate had caught Captain Kuro.

**---x---**

Back in the forest, Jango had managed to get back up but blood was dripping from the wound going across his chest. "What's the matter kid? Don't think I can take a hit?" questioned Jango. "I'm a pirate, I'm worth nine million berries!" Jango took another hypno-ring and threw it at Ricky. **SHUWAKAWAKA!!**

"Well… I was kind of hoping you couldn't," admitted Ricky, **KLANK!!** He used two hands to swing his sword like a baseball bat and connected with the disk knocking it off to the side. Now that it was on the ground, it wouldn't go back to Jango.

"DIE!" yelled Jango as he threw pulled out a new hypno-disk and threw it at Ricky.

Ricky grinned and charged straight at Jango and the disk he had just thrown, showing no sign of slowing down or moving out of the way. When the disk got close, Ricky jumped up into the air, **KLANK!!** Ricky drove the metal sole of his boot down onto the disk, then launched himself off of it and up into the branch of a tree overhead

Jango quickly reached into a pocket and pulled out two more hypno-disks and immediately threw the first one at Ricky. **SHUWAKAWAKA!! **Ricky jumped up off of the tree branch he was on, then lunged for another one. But just as Ricky was landing on the new branch, Jango threw the second hypno-disk. **SHUWAKAWAKA!! **It whizzed through the air, but didn't hit Ricky, **SHUNK!! **The disk cut right through the tree connected to the branch Ricky had just landed on.

The tree went crashing down to the ground bringing Ricky down with it.** KERASH!!**

Jango smiled at the wreckage and watched as Ricky slowly managed to free himself from the tree he was pinned under. His sword was buried under the tree somewhere. Jango aimed and threw another hypno-disk **SHUWAKAWAKA!! **Ricky looked up and attempted to get out of the way, but his foot was caught. **SLISH!!** Ricky moved to the side as much as he could, but the hypno-ring slashed straight through the side of his leg. "Unggggg…" Ricky let out a groan of pain and gritted his teeth as he dropped down to one knee.

"Now you'll hold still," taunted Jango as he walked up to Ricky and placed the edge of a hypno-disk at his neck.

**---x---**

"Did you hear something?" Zoro asked Usopp as he ran through the trees.

"It sounded like a tree falling," replied Usopp. "Hurry up! I think I see the hypnotist! Go that way!"

"He's got Ricky!" exclaimed Zoro in alarm. He tossed Usopp to the side and sprinted through the trees to help his crewmate.

**---x---**

"Crap, they've found me," Jango cursed to Ricky. "I'll have to finish you quick."

"Do your worst, freak!" spat Ricky, **PTTOOOI!!** Then Ricky really did spit and spat right in Jango's face causing the Hypnotist to stagger backwards in surprise.

Jango glanced to the side and saw Zoro coming, "YOU'RE TOO LATE SWORDSMAN!!" taunted Jango.

**SLISH!!** Zoro jumped up and slashed a branch in front of him causing it to drop down to the ground.

Usopp reached into his weapons pouch and pulled out a familiar red ball that Ricky had given him four chapters ago.

"_Here Usopp, take this, but save it for the Hypnotist if you can." Ricky handed the red ball to Usopp then turned to face the charging pirates._

"Perfect, that branch was in my way," commented Usopp as he loaded the Explosion Ball into his slingshot and pulled it back.

**---x---**

"Blast you, get off of me!" ordered Kuro who was still struggling to get Luffy off of him. But the Straw Hat Pirate wasn't letting go, he had his rubber arms and legs tightly wrapped around Kuro.

"Now your three year plan is a failure," Luffy said to Kuro.

"What!?" snapped Kuro.

"He's got the Captain," commented RP3.

"If he wins, doesn't that mean we don't get killed?" asked RP1, he glanced at the remaining pirates around him, then they started cheering, "GET HIM RUBBER BOY! KILL CAPTAIN KURO!"

But that only seemed to anger Luffy,** BWOING!!** Straw Hat suddenly pulled his head back and stretched neck so his head was at the other end of the pass by the random Black Cat Pirates and the broken pirate ship.

"Who said you could root for me!?" demanded Luffy, "when this is over I'm gonna get you guys too!" With his neck still stretched Luffy suddenly shouted, "GUM… GUM…"

**---x---**

"SURE-KILL EXPLOSION BALL STAR!!" shouted Usopp. **CHEW! **Usopp fired his slingshot and launched Ricky's Explosion Ball at Jango. **KA-BOOOOOM!!** The red ball exploded in Jango's face and shattered his heart-shaped glasses causing the hypnotist to stagger backwards.

"Nice shot," commented Ricky as he pushed down with his good leg and surged up off of the ground.

**---x---**

"No… impossible!" exclaimed Kuro, "MY PLAN! MY PLAN CAN NOT FAIL!"

"…BELL!!" **SHWONK!!! **Luffy's head launched forward and his thick skull smashed full force into Kuro's.

**---x---**

"JAVELIN KICK!!" **CRUNCH!!** Ricky lashed out his bad leg and ignored the painful jolt sent through it as he drove the steel bottom his boot into Jango's weird beard and chin.

**THUD!!** Jango and Ricky went crashing to the ground, and at the same time an unconscious Kuro hit the ground with Luffy on top of him. Kuro and Jango were both defeated. The Straw Hat Pirates had won.

**---x---**

Kuro and Jango are now out of the picture. There's only one chapter left in the Kuro Arc. And we'll see the end of Usopp's Pirate Crew.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	21. Chapter 20

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Usopp's Pirate Crew**

**---x---**

**WHAM!! **Kuro went crashing to the ground with Luffy on top of him. Kuro was out cold from Luffy's hard head smashing into his. The random Black Cat Pirates stared in shock as Luffy got back up to his feet.

"Its over," commented RP1. "He beat Captain Kuro! Kuro of a Thousand Plans, the man who out smarted the marines! He really did it!"

"That impossible," said RP3, "WHO ARE YOU!?"

"Monkey D. Luffy," answered Luffy as he glanced over his shoulder at the pirates. "I'd never lose to a pirate who gave up his name and left the sea. A real pirate would die before he'd do either of those things."

"Luffy?" repeated RP1. "I've never heard that name before."

"Remember that name for the rest of your lives," instructed Luffy, "BECAUSE I"M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!!"

"Is he crazy!?" exclaimed RP3.

Luffy suddenly pulled Kuro up off of the ground then tossed him towards the pirates, "TAKE YOUR GARBAGE WITH YOU!" Luffy shouted, "AND DON'T EVER COME BACK!" The Black Cat Pirates grabbed Kuro and ran back to the ship in terror. They eventually got on and set off.

**---x---**

Nami ran up the pass and joined Luffy at the top with her sack of treasure. She stared at Luffy and caught him when he suddenly slumped forward. Nami held Luffy up and stared down at him, "Good job."

The Black Cat Pirates sailed off with their tails between their legs, Nami laid Luffy down on his back and stood over him.

"I'd expect even you'd collapse after what you just went through," commented Nami. "Tell me, what made you so mad earlier?"

"Because I truly hate people like them," answered Luffy, referring to the behavior shown by the Black Cat Pirates and their Captain. "They're so wrong. That is now how Nakama should act."

"Of course it isn't," replied Nami as she picked up Luffy's straw hat. Luffy's hat had gone flying early into his fight with Kuro, it was on the ground most of the fight and luckily it hadn't been damaged by Kuro when he used his Out-of-the-Bag Attack and started clawing at everything. "Most pirates aren't the brave, honorable people you always make them out to be. I'd say Captain Kuro is pretty standard."

"I want some meat," Luffy said.

"YOU'RE UNBELIEVABLE!!" snapped Nami as she attempted to smother Luffy with his own hat.

**---x---**

Back in the forest, Zoro put his swords away and tied his bandana back onto his arm now that the fight was over. He walked away leaving Jango lying unconscious on his back, apparently he'd been left behind. Zoro wandered over to a clearing where Usopp was sitting on a stump with the Veggie Pirates and Kaya gathered around him.

Ricky was off to the side flat on his back, he had managed to dig his sword out from the tree it was buried under and put it away. Now he was just staring up at the clouds. A lot of trees had been cut down when Jango was chasing him, giving him a clear view of the early morning sky.

"Listen guys," said Usopp as he addressed his crew and Kaya while Zoro walked over to Ricky and sat down next to him. "Can we keep everything that happened here a secret?"

"A secret?" repeated Carrot, "Why would you want to do that!?"

"We fought hard to save the village!" added Pepper.

"Everybody will love you," pointed out Onion, "You'll be a hero!"

"Usopp, they should know what you did," said Kaya. "You all risked your lives to save this village!"

"They'll always believe that I'm a liar anyway," replied Usopp. "We don't need to worry the townsfolk. This attack was unusual, pirates hardly ever bother to raid out-of-the-way villages like ours. That knowledge makes everyone feel safe, why ruin their peace of mind? Let's just pretend that all this never happened."

"Usopp… " started Kaya.

"I don't want to force you," said Usopp, "It's up to you."

"I'll do it!" announced Carrot, "If that's what's best for the village!"

"I'll do it too!" agreed Pepper.

"Yeah me too!" said Onion, "I'll carry our secret to the grave."

"Kaya, how about you?" asked Usopp.

"Okay," answered Kaya, if that's what Usopp wanted, that's what she'd do.

**---x---**

Later on that day, the birds were chirping, and the village was normal and quiet… a little too quiet. "What!? It's already seven! We overslept! Usopp didn't wake us!"

"Where's Usopp this morning?"

"I feel like something is missing this morning. I can't seem to get motivated."

"Time for work, dear!"

"Work? But Usopp hasn't caused his morning ruckus yet."

"Where is that liar?" wondered one of the villagers that had chased Usopp around with a pitchfork the other day, "Maybe I was too hard on him yesterday."

"Pepper!" exclaimed Pepper's mom, as she chased the boy out of the house while throwing kitchen utensils at him. "You're filthy! Go wash your clothes now!"

"Carrot, have you seen my frying pan?" asked Carrot's mom, "I can't fry the eggs this morning."

"Uh… I can eat boiled eggs," replied Carrot as he hid the frying pan behind his back, "I like boiled eggs!"

"Onion, where have you been? Do you know how worried I was?" questioned Onion's mom as she noticed her son attempting to sneak in the house.

"S-sorry mom," apologized Onion.

**---x---**

"Thanks," Usopp said to the Straw Hat Pirates who were all recovering back at the pass, all of them were wounded to some degree. Usopp had a large lump on his head and had some dried blood on his face. Luffy had claw marks all over him, on his chest, his arms, and his legs, Zoro and Ricky both had slashes on this chest while Ricky also had a cut on his leg. Even Nami was wounded and had a gash on her left shoulder. "I owe you guys. Without you, I couldn't have saved the village."

"What are you talking about?" asked Zoro, "If you didn't do anything I wouldn't have helped you."

"Same here," agreed Luffy.

"Who cares," added Nami as she hugged the treasure she had stolen, "We got their treasure!"

"It's nice to know where your priorities are," commented Ricky who was staring up at the sky. "How's your shoulder doing?"

"It's fine," Nami replied as she glanced down at the cut Jango had made on her left shoulder.

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" Ricky offered.

"I'll take care of it," Nami assured him with a glare that Ricky didn't seem to see. "Besides, don't you have your own injuries to treat?"

"Mine are easy to reach, your shoulder's out of the way," Ricky reasoned. "If you don't get it treated properly it could get infected and you might not be able to move your arm any more. Then you wouldn't be able to carry your treasure."

"FINE!" Nami conceded, "Fix it later! Are you happy now?"

"I guess," Ricky said with a shrug as he went back to cloud gazing, causing Nami to growl in frustration.

Through their whole banter Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro had been staring at them curiously. "Are they always like that?" asked Usopp.

"You have no idea," replied Zoro. Nami glared at him, while Ricky didn't even bother giving a visible reaction. They were all silent for a few minutes but then Usopp spoke up.

"…Well… having survived all of this… I've made a decision," Usopp told the Straw Hats.

**---x---**

"What!?" asked Merry once Kaya had returned to the mansion, "This was a big ordeal, and you want me to pretend nothing ever happened?"

"Will you do it?" questioned Kaya as she wrapped some bandages over his butler in an effort to heal his wounds.

"What a big hearted young man," commented Merry, "And he thinks this will be best for the villagers? Do you agree with him Miss. Kaya?"

"Usopp asked me to do it," replied Kaya, "So I'll do it."

"I understand," said Merry, "Then I'll back you up on it."

"By the way, Merry," said Kaya, "I have one more request…"

**---x---**

Later on that day, Usopp met up with his pirate crew, in an open field. "Captain Usopp, what did you want talk to us about?" Carrot asked, as he, Pepper, and Onion arrived at a pile of logs on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. On one end of the pile of logs was a pirate flag, it was a standard skull and crossbones with big eye holds a round nose hole and an open toothless mouth.

"The three of you fought well against those terrible Black Cat Pirates," said Usopp, as he sat on the edge of the log pile. There was a bull's eye painted on the side of log pile, this was where Usopp and his pirate crew met and trained. "As Captain, I'm proud of you for being so brave and courageous."

"You're too kind," replied Carrot.

"We're nothing compared to you," Pepper bashfully admitted.

"You're embarrassing us!" added Onion.

"I'm serious," Usopp assured them. "You were very courageous. You were scared to death, but you kept your cool, worked together as a team, and kept Kaya safe." Usopp stood up and walked up to his crew and smiled down at them, "Thanks to you, we overcame our biggest and most important battle since we formed the Usopp Pirates five years ago. That was when you brave soldiers were only four years old, remember?"

"Yup!" chirped the Veggie Pirates.

"Now, I know this is sudden," Usopp told them, "but… I've decided that I'm going to set out to sea by myself." The three boys stared in shock, but Usopp was smiling. "I'm finally gonna leave this place and become a _real_ pirate! Ahahahaha! At first, I wasn't sure what I'd do, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to stay here forever or not, but once I saw them, I knew deep in my heart what I must do. I feel that… as man, I must set out to the vast ocean. So, I'm leaving this place behind!"

Usopp ran to the pile of logs and jumped up onto the top of him so he was overlooking the ocean, "I LEAVE FOR ONE REASON!" he shouted proudly, "WHEN THE GREAT PIRATE FLAG BECKONS… YOU MUST HEED IT'S CALL!!"

"Captain! Say it isn't so!" exclaimed Carrot, "you're lying again, right?"

"Isn't that a bit hasty?" asked Pepper, "There's no reason to leave! I thought you loved this village!"

"And what's gonna happen to the Usopp Pirates without you?" added Onion.

"You've been so good to me guys," said Usopp, the three nine-year-olds struggled to hold back tears. "I plan to leave without telling the villagers. Give them my regards."

"No Captain!" refused Carrot, struggling not to cry.

"NO I DON'T WANT TO!" cried Pepper.

"Don't go Captain, just stay here, please!" pleaded Onion.

"Usopp Pirates, do you remember this place?" Usopp suddenly asked them. "This is where we first met, and formed the Usopp Pirates."

**---Usopp Pirates Flashback---**

"AHAHAHAHA!!" laughed a twelve year old Usopp as he stood in front of a familiar pile of logs and his newly posted pirate flag. "Finished!"

"**Hey, it's that liar guy!"** came a kid's voice.

Usopp turned around and saw three four-year-olds that looked like vegetables. "Who're you guys?" asked Usopp, "What're you doing here?"

"Well duh, you're famous!" replied Pepper.

"Yeah, you're a real famous guy," added Onion who was hiding behind Pepper.

"Right," Usopp proudly agreed, "now you've come face-to-face with the man that's known world over as Captain Usopp!"

"Actually, everyone in the village call's you liar Usopp," confessed Carrot while Pepper and Onion laughed.

Usopp face-faulted, but quickly recovered. "From this day forth, you're officially members of the Usopp Pirates," Usopp decided. The three boys looked kind of reluctant. "COME ON! MAN UP!!"

**---End Usopp's Pirates Flashback---**

"A lot's happened since then," commented Usopp, struggling to hold back tears of his own. They'd been on many make-believe adventures over those five years. They scared away a Cerberus, (some lady's dog.) (A/N: Thriller Bark Arc) they chased a dragon, (a lizard) (A/N: Warship Island Arc) and Usopp proudly displayed his skills with his slingshot.

"PLEASE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE OLD DAYS!" shouted Pepper, "I CAN'T STAND IT!"

"Pepper's right," agreed Carrot, "It's much too painful!"

"This kind of lie isn't like you Captain," cried Onion, "It's not fun! Why are you saying you're going to leave us?"

"You're not serious, are you?" asked Carrot.

"You're being stupid Captain!" exclaimed Pepper, all three boys were getting upset, "STUPID!"

Usopp jumped off of the log pile and turned to face the three boys, "Alright men, tell me what your ambitions are," requested Usopp.

"To run a tavern," replied Carrot.

"To be a master carpenter," answered Pepper.

"To become a writer," said Onion.

"Then swear to me now that each of you will continue on your paths!" instructed Usopp. "Promise me that you will never let the fires of your ambitions die out! As of today… I hereby declare our group… the Usopp Pirates… DISBANDED!!"

They all cried while Usopp tore the flag from its post and allowed a strong wind to take it away and blow it along over the top of the trees and away into the sky.

**---x---**

**To The Sea**

**---x---**

"Is that a tattoo?" asked Ricky as he stood behind Nami and cleaned off the cut on her left shoulder. Rather than pull up the sleeve of her new pink short-sleeved shirt, Nami had pulled down the white-lined collar, allowing Ricky to clean the gash. But despite Nami's best intentions, he still spotted the markings on her shoulder.

"No," lied Nami, denying the obvious.

"Whatever," replied Ricky, he cast a quick glance at the markings on Nami's shoulder and continued cleaning out the cut. He decided to buy Nami's lie for now. "It's not too deep, and the blade went straight in so it shouldn't take too long to heal. Hold still and let me get the bandages on.

"Just hurry up," ordered Nami as she held still and allowed Ricky to wrap the bandage around her shoulder.

"Got it," announced Ricky. "Now let's get back, Luffy's probably done eating everything."

"No kidding," agreed Nami, as she quickly fixed her shirt so it completely covered her shoulder and once again hid the markings on her shoulder. "It's a good thing we ate before we came in here. That guy eats like his stomach is…"

"…made of rubber?" Ricky supplied. "It is. It stretches as it fills and thanks to all the fighting and stretching he does, he digests really quickly."

**---x---**

"Phew I finally got it out," announced Luffy as he yanked some fish bones out of his mouth.

"You need to work on your technique," scolded Zoro, who then noticed Ricky and Nami coming back to the table.

"You know, normal people don't eat the bones," pointed out Nami as she sat down across from them. Ricky slid into the seat next to her.

"Well the food's all gone," commented Zoro, "Do you want to get going?"

"Let's all just take a moment to thank Buggy the Clown for this meal," said Ricky, causing the others to stare at him in slight surprise, "without him and his treasure, we'd have actually had to pay for it ourselves."

"HAHAHA! TO BUGGY!" cheered Luffy, "THANKS FOR THE MEAT!"

**---x---**

Somewhere in the East Blue, Buggy the Clown, who was still missing his limbs, body, and crew, was on a familiar island, "AAACHOOOO!!" Buggy sneezed, alerting a familiar rooster-dog of his presence on the island, "Someone must be flashily talking about me."

**---x---**

**Krek! **The door to the tavern opened and Kaya walked in. She had a chance to change now that everything was over and now wore an orange dress with a yellow and white striped blouse over it. "I found you," said Kaya as she walked up to the four Straw Hat Pirates.

"Hello, Miss!" greeted Luffy.

"Are you alright being out of bed?" asked Nami.

"Yes," answered Kaya, "I think now I can truly start recovering. You see my sickness this last year was caused by the mental shock of losing both my parents. Usopp's friendship helped me start feeling better, but I can't stay in bed forever. You've all done so much for me, I can't thank you enough. I've prepared a present for you from the bottom of my heart to show you how grateful I am everything you've done here. I'd be honored if you'd accept it."

**---x---**

In a small house on top of a hill, Usopp had just finished packing, "Phew! That's everything!" Usopp flopped down on his bed with an an overstuffed green backpack on the floor next to him. He'd stuffed everything from his home in to bag, the only things left behind were two socks that had since lost their mate.

"Aaahh, all packed," sighed Usopp. "I guess its farewell to this house too." He sat up and looked out the window and spotted Kaya's large mansion in a distance, then he stood up and strengthened his resolve. It was time to go, "Alright."

Usopp eventually hefted the overlarge backpack onto his back, then got up and made his way out of the house, only to find that he was stuck. "Hey!!" exclaimed Usopp as he looked behind him. The overlarge backpack was too big to fit through the door frame, preventing Usopp from leaving the house. "I can't get out… this stupid backpack…"

Usopp struggled and pulled as hard as he could on the backpack to try and get through the door, the wall of the house bent from the force Usopp was pulling with.

"NYYAAAHHH!!! **KRACK!! **The door frame cracked and gave way and Usopp went flying out of the house. **KRASH!** Usopp landed on his back, but then to his horror he kept rolling. The backpack was large than he was and he screamed in terror as he rolled down the hill unable to stop himself. With one final tug, the door frame cracked, sending Usopp flying forward. Usopp went off balance and the proceeded to bounce, tumble, and roll down the hill. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

**---x---**

Down at the beach the Straw Hat Pirates stared in amazement at the ship in front of them. "WOW!" exclaimed Luffy.

"Nice," commented Ricky, with a small smile.

"Whoa!" said Zoro.

"IT'S A REAL CARAVEL!" cheered Nami.

It was a rather small ship, no where near as large as the one the Black Cat Pirates had been in, but it was by far larger than the two sailboats the Straw Hats had used to get here. The figurehead of the ship was in the shape a white sheep. Below the figurehead was the anchor room with a capstand to raise the anchor and a cannon poking out from underneath the figurehead. The ship had two sails, the main sail was larger and had a crow's nest situated on the mast above it, and the rear sail was red and white striped. The ship was lined in white and had white railings surrounding the raised front deck and the rear deck.

Being a caravel, the ship was steered by a central rudder and the whipstaff that controlled it was located inside the galley, which served as a kitchen, dining room, and meeting room. Below the galley was a storage room armed with two cannons on opposite sides of the ship. There was also a small bathroom through a door on the far side of the storage room. Below the storage room was a small bedroom, probably the captain's quarters and next to the small bedroom was a larger bedroom, the crew's quarters.

The Straw Hat Pirates finally had their pirate ship.

"ARE YOU ACTUALLY GIVING THIS TO US!!?" exclaimed Luffy.

"As a token of my appreciation," replied Kaya with a smile.

"It's a slightly older model," admitted Merry, "but I personally designed it and had it built years ago and she sails like a dream. She has lateen sails and a central stern rudder, she's a fine ship and her name… is the Going Merry. Allow me to explain the rigging, first about the yard adjustment…"

"Don't waste your breath on them," Nami said to Merry, as Luffy started to lose focus and stared at the ship, "You'd be better off just explaining the technical stuff to me."

"What a great ship!" exclaimed Luffy, "Do you guys see this! It's totally awesome!"

"We've loaded it with all the provisions you'll need on a long voyage," explained Kaya.

"Thanks!" replied Luffy, "It leaves nothing to be tired."

"Leaves nothing to be desired, idiot," corrected Zoro.

"**WAAAAHH!" **came a loud scream from the top of the pass, "STOP ME!!" Usopp came rolling and bouncing down the pass, still unable to stop himself due to the large back strapped to his back.

"It's Usopp!" pointed out Kaya as everyone turned to see Usopp tumbling down the pass.

"Hey, what's he doing?" wondered Luffy, "Looks fun."

"Well we'd better stop him," suggested Zoro. "That weirdo is on a collision course with our new ship."

Luffy and Zoro stepped forward and held out their legs, **SPLAK!!** The combined strength of Zoro and Luffy was enough to stop the rolling.

"Fanks guys," said a muffled Usopp, Luffy and Zoro's feet were pressed into his face.

**---x---**

"You're really doing it," commented Kaya, "you're really going off to sea."

"Yeah, I've decided to get going before I change my mind," replied Usopp, who'd managed to get his overlarge backpack off, and was now overlooking the ocean with Kaya standing next to him, "Please, don't stop me."

"I won't," Kaya told him, sounding a little sad to see her friend leaving, "I know its time for you to go."

Usopp smiled, "Well don't be sad about it," he said. "When I come back, I'll tell you about adventures that'll sound more like lies than my old lies! Only this time, they'll really be true!"

"Good, I'll look forward to it," said Kaya with a small smile.

"You guys take care!" Usopp called out to the Straw Hats that had since boarded their ship.

"Why?" asked Luffy.

"'_Why?'_" repeated Usopp, "What're you antisocial or something? I'm taking off for live on the high seas and I hope we'll meet again, that's all."

"What're you talking about? Get on already," instructed Zoro as he motioned to their ship.

"Huh?" questioned Usopp.

"'_When the pirate flag beckons, you must heed its call_'," recited Ricky, "Get on, buddy."

"We're Nakama aren't we?" asked Luffy, "So get on."

A huge grin appeared on Usopp's face, "YEEEAAAH!" cheered Usopp, "I CAN BE THE CAPTAIN!"

"NO WAY!" exclaimed Luffy, "I'M THE CAPTAIN!"

Once all of Usopp's stuff had been loaded up the FIVE Straw Hats raised anchor and dropped the sail, then they sailed off to pursue their dreams.

**---x---**

"There goes the Captain," observed Pepper from the pile of logs overlooking the ocean, Carrot and Onion were next to him.

"He fell in with some pretty awesome people," said Carrot, "so I'm not too worried."

"Yeah, he'll be safe with them," agreed Onion. "I've never seen anybody as strong as they are."

"He's always talked about become a pirate," recalled Carrot, "now he's heading off to live his dreams."

"The villagers are gonna be pretty sad when we break the news to them," said Pepper.

"Our Captain is the only one who could liven things up around here," complained Onion, "now he's gone."

"Hey, I just had a great idea!" exclaimed Pepper.

"What is it?" asked Carrot and Onion at the same time.

**---x---**

"They certainly were a pleasant bunch," commented Merry as he and Kaya watched the Going Merry sail off in a distance.

"Merry," said Kaya.

"What is it Miss. Kaya?" asked Merry.

"Lying is hard," confessed Kaya.

"Are you referring to Klahadore?"

"No," answered Kaya.

"You must be talking about Usopp," realized Merry. "You really wanted him to stay, didn't you?"

"…" Kaya stayed silent.

"Miss. Kaya, years ago one of the villagers told me a story about your good friend Usopp's childhood," Merry told her. "Only a short time after his father left the village to become a pirate, his mother who he was very close to, passed away."

"Oh," replied Kaya.

**---Usopp's Origin Flashback---**

"PIRATES!!" shouted a young Usopp as he ran through the village and up to his house on the hill. "PIRATES ARE HERE!!"

"Pirates are here mom, they're here!" exclaimed Usopp as he ran inside his small house.

"Hold on Usopp," scolded a doctor who was standing in front of the bed inside, "you mustn't shout, calm down."

Usopp ran passed the doctor and went to his mother's side. Usopp's mother, Banchina, had straight black hair and a shorter, pointed version of Usopp's nose. She looked pale and was very sick, she had a rag on her to keep her temperature down.

"Mom, we're saved!" Usopp lied to his mother, hoping to cheer her up, "Dad finally came back for us!"

"There you go with your wild imagination again," commented Banchina, seeing right through the boy's lie, "Silly boy."

"It's true!" Usopp insisted. "He always said he'd come back for us and take us with him when you got better, didn't he, mom?"

"Usopp, my dear, your father won't be coming back," Banchina told him. "But, I'm proud to have married such a brave man who dared to chase his dreams."

"I heard about a special medicine!" bluffed Usopp, "this stuff can cure any sickness!" (A/N: Dr. Tony Tony Chopper)

"So silly," chided Banchina, "you dream too much."

"I _am _a dreamer," cried Usopp, who was sad to see his mother like this. "And I'm silly! It's true! I'm proud of it, after all, I'm the son of a pirate!"

"Promise me one thing," requested Banchina. "Promise me you'll grove up to be brave like you're dad." Banchina closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Eventually, Usopp's mother died, but Usopp continued to run through the village and shout his lie.

"PIRATES!!!"

**---End Usopp's Origin Flashback---**

"Perhaps out of loneliness," Merry continued, "he continued to shout that after his mother passed away, in hopes that his father's pirate ship would be at the shore, ready to spirit him away to the sea, and give him the family that he never had. The villagers say that his outlandish lies contain his heart's deepest desire. As someone else who lost both parents, he saw you as a kindred spirit Miss. Kaya, and he couldn't sit by and ignore your suffering."

Kaya wiped away her tears and Merry smiled down at her, "Now its time for you too to rise from the ashes of tragedy and live up to the example that Usopp tried so hard to set."

"I will," Kaya agreed, her tears were gone and she was smiling. How could she possibly be sad when her friend was off pursuing his dream, she was happy for him.

**---x---**

"CHEERS!" exclaimed Luffy as he held up a mug of grog. "TO A NEW SHIP AND NEW NAKAMA!!"

**KLANK!** The five Straw Hats clanked their wooden mugs together and celebrated the newest additions to their crew.

"YEAH!!" cheered Nami with a big smile, "WOOHOOO!"

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed Luffy and Usopp, "AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Heh heh!" chuckled Zoro, as he sat on a barrel, beside him, Ricky had a genuine smile on his face and while he wasn't laughing like the others, it was the happiest he'd been in a long time.

**---x---**

"They said they were fighting to live," said Kaya. "Not to die. Usopp's wild stories and outlandish lies always spoke of the joy of being alive. They helped me through my grief by cheering me up and telling me to live."

"Indeed," agreed Merry.

**---x---**

"Here we go," said Onion as he, Carrot, and Pepper huddled together.

"We're really doing this?" asked Carrot.

"Uh huh! You bet," replied Pepper, "We've gotta follow in our great Captain's footsteps!"

"ONE, TWO, THREE…GO!!"

The three boys all took a deep breath then ran towards the village they were standing out side of, screaming at the top of their lungs, "PIRATES!! PIRATES ARE COMING!!! AAAAAHHH!! RUN FOR YOU LIVES!! PIRATES ARE COMING!! PIRATES!!"

**---x---**

"My life starts now Merry," Kaya decided, "I'm going to be a doctor."

"That's wonderful Miss. Kaya," Merry encouraged her, "just wonderful!"

In a distance they could hear the shouts of three boys, **"PIRATES ARE COMING!!"**

**---x---**

Next up is the Baratie Arc. But before that can really start, the Straw Hats come across Johnny and Yosaku.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	22. Chapter 21

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** This chapter marks the start of the Baratie Arc. However, it is mostly filler. Sanji won't be introduced until next chapter.

**Yosaku and Johnny**

**---x---**

It was a calm day at sea as the Straw Hat Pirates sailed on their brand new ship the Going Merry with their new Nakama, Usopp. "IT'S FINISHED!" announced Luffy as he held up a badly drawn pirate flag and showed it to the others. "LUFFY'S PIRATE FLAG!"

Ricky, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp just stared at the crudely drawn skull and crossbones which had an equally badly drawn straw hat on its head. "Hahaha! I already had an emblem thought up," laughed Luffy, who was excited about his new flag.

"Well, he is a little low on in terms of painting talent," commented Usopp.

"Maybe it's supposed to be abstract," Nami suggested, trying to be positive.

"Well… a pirate flag is supposed to inspire terror," Zoro said, "and that's pretty scary."

"Luffy, if you make _that_ flag our symbol, I'm going on strike," Ricky threatened.

"And I'll be the first to join him," added Zoro.

"What? You don't like it?" asked Luffy.

"Your painting stinks!" Usopp blurted, "Here let me try."

Usopp then set to work on what he thought the pirate flag should look like. "That's not our emblem," Luffy and Zoro scolded Usopp, then they whacked him on the back of the head. **WHAP! **Usopp had painted a profile view of a skull with a long nose and a slingshot was one of the crossbones. It was more like a pirate flag for Usopp's Pirate Crew.

"Usopp, try your hand at painting Luffy's idea," suggested Ricky.

Usopp eventually conceded and painted another flag, this one was a skull and crossbones that had a big toothy grin and a Luffy's signature straw hat on its head, this was real symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates. (A/N: Anyone who doesn't know what this looks like has obviously never seen the One Piece Logo before.)

"Good, I like it," commented Nami as she looked over Usopp's flag.

"Really?" Usopp asked, pleased that his work had met their approval.

"It looks completely different from Luffy's," pointed out Zoro, which of course could only be a good thing, since Luffy's flag sucked.

"Great!" exclaimed Luffy, "Now lets paint it on the sail too!"

"I've been drawing things on walls since I was little," bragged Usopp, "I'm a man of many talents."

"Then use those talents to paint it on the sail," instructed Ricky, he attempted to walk off but Nami gave him a look the promised a lot of pain if he didn't help out.

With that the Straw Hat Pirates worked on painting the sail but they all made sure not to let Luffy touch a paint brush.

"Finally, the Going Merry is complete," announced Usopp once they had finished then he promptly collapsed to the deck. A larger version of their flag had been painted on the main sail making the Going Merry was an official pirate ship. "I'm beat." Next to Usopp, Zoro was sleeping against the mast while Ricky and Nami were standing together staring up at the skull and crossbones they had just painted.

"I can't believe you made me paint," complained Ricky as he tossed his paint brush to the side… but it didn't land on the ground.

"Ricky…" said Nami as calmly as she could.

Ricky turned to look at her and saw a splatter of black paint on the front of Nami's pink shirt. Ricky's eye widened and he slowly started backing away. "Uh… oops…"

Nami glared at Ricky then reached down and grabbed the bucket of white paint. There was still some left.

"Nami, it was an accident," said Ricky as Nami continued to advance on him with the paint bucket. Usopp wisely decided not to get caught in between the two of them and ran for his life.

"Be reasonable…" pleaded Ricky. "It's only a little bit of paint…"

"Hehehe! What goes around comes around," laughed Nami, she let loose a bunch of paint but Ricky ducked at the last minute. **SPLOOSH!!** The paint kept going… and doused Zoro.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" shouted Zoro as he woke with a start, Ricky quickly slipped behind Nami who was struggling not to laugh at the paint covered swordsman. Zoro glanced down at himself and saw that he was covered in white paint then glared at the two in front of him.

"She/he did it," Nami and Ricky said at the same time as they pointed at each other.

"She's holding the bucket," Ricky pointed out.

"He ducked!" Nami argued. "If he had held still, you wouldn't have got hit."

Zoro glared at the two of them then smirked evilly when he noticed the left over red and yellow paint. "Uh…Zoro… what're you doing with that… wait…"

**KA-BOOOM!!** A loud explosion echoed from off of the side of the ship, creating a distraction. "What are you doing?" demanded Zoro, still holding the buckets of yellow and red paint. Ricky and Nami attempted to slip away unnoticed.

"I'm using that rock for target practice," Luffy answered, "This cannon doesn't shoot right."

"Let me give it a try," offered Usopp, it was actually an excuse to get away from the paint throwing.

"Hit that rock," instructed Luffy when Usopp reached the canon.

"Okay," Usopp replied, he glanced at the rock then readjusted the canon and pointed it slightly to the side, "Judging from your first shot, this should do it." **KA-BOOM!!** **KRASH!!** Usopp blasted the cannon and blew the top part off of the rock.

"Wow! You hit it on your first try!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Wow! I hit it on my first try!" Usopp realized at the same time. "See didn't I tell you?" Usopp quickly stopped being amazed and started bragging, "I always hit what I aim at. If you're impressed just call me 'Captain'."

"No, I'll call you… our sharpshooter," said Luffy.

**SPLASH!!** Luffy and Usopp turned to see a white covered Zoro looking proud of himself with a freshly painted red Ricky and yellow Nami standing next to him

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Luffy burst out laughing at his funny colored crew.

Usopp joined in at laughing at their expense, "AHAHAHAHA!"

Zoro, happy that he had gotten his payback, started laughing too, "Heh heh!"

The absurdity of the situation sank in and Nami let out a giggle then started laughing along with the rest of the crew, "HEHEHEHEHE!!"

Even Ricky was smiling. "Wait… come here," Ricky instructed Nami.

"Huh?" said Nami. Before she could protest Ricky reached out and hugged her, then pulled her to him and pressed her body against his. Nami stared at Ricky in surprise but didn't object, only for him to quickly release her.

"There, orange is more your color," explained Ricky. Nami glanced down at her shirt and saw that while they were pressed together the red paint covering Ricky had mixed with the yellow paint covering her, making orange. The red paint on him went with his hair, while the orange paint on her went with hers.

"HAHAHAHA!" Luffy kept laughing from over by the cannon with Usopp, "You guys look silly."

Zoro, Ricky, and Nami glanced at each other then at the same time they all smiled. Ricky took the red bucket of paint from Zoro, leaving him with the yellow one while Nami picked up the white paint she had used before. All three of the paint covered pirates slowly advanced on the captain and the marksman.

"Hey guys… what're you—AAHHHHH!!"

**---x---**

A little while later, the paint had dried and the strangely colored Straw Hat Crew was sitting in the galley at a table. "Okay you can be Captain for now," conceded Usopp who was covered in a strange mixture of red, yellow and white paint. "But if you ever change your mind, I'll take over in a heartbeat!"

"That's my job," the red and orange covered Ricky cut in.

"Fine with me," a pink Luffy agreed with a shrug. "You know I've been thinking, there's one more position we need to fill before we reach the Grand Line."

"Well this galley does have all the equipment," pointed out a yellow and orange covered Nami, who thought she had an idea of what Luffy was thinking, "I'll do it… for a price."

"Well we need one," admitted a white covered Zoro, "That's essential for a long voyage."

"So it's agreed," said Luffy. "Our pirate ship should have… a musician!"

"ARE YOU NUTS!?" snapped Nami while Ricky sweat-dropped.

"I thought you were going to say something smart for once," said Zoro.

"This is piracy not a pleasure cruise!" shouted Usopp.

"Pirates need to sing don't they?" questioned Luffy.

But suddenly a loud shout came from outside on the deck, "**COME OUT AND FIGHT! I'LL MURDER THE LOT OF YA!"**

"What's that?" questioned Luffy. **KRASH!!** The sound of a barrel being smashing reached the galley. Luffy got up and left the galley to see what was going on.

"Hey! Who are you!" shouted Luffy at the sword wielding intruder.

"Wow…" said the intruder when he noticed Luffy's pink paint job. The intruder had black hair and tanned skin with a kanji tattoo on the left side of his face, he wore a pair of sunglasses, gray pants, a blue hooded sweatshirt, and a black shirt underneath. He shook his head and got back to business and attacked Luffy with his katana-style sword. "What's it to you… who I am, YOU PINK PEST!!" **KLANG!!** But Luffy jumped up off of the railing and avoided the sword strike causing the intruder to smash his sword into the railing.

"How many are there?" asked Zoro.

"One I think," replied Nami as she and Usopp glanced out the window.

"Let Luffy handle it," suggested Ricky with an indifferent shrug.

"I've killed many pirates," snapped the intruder, "How dare you nobodies TRY TO MURDER MY PARTNER!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Luffy as the intruder rushed at him and slashed his sword at Luffy. **THONK!!** Luffy jumped up into the air and dodged the attack then he grabbed the intruder's head on the way down. "Sorry, but I can't let you destroy this ship!" **WHAM!!** Luffy threw the intruder across the deck into a wall.

"Almost… got him," groaned the intruder as he lay almost unconscious on the deck.

"What the heck was that all about?" asked Luffy as he sat down on the deck a little bit away from the intruder.

But just then Zoro came walking out from the galley, "Well I'll be," commented Zoro, "its Johnny!"

"BROTHER ZORO!?" cried out Johnny slightly thrown off by the white paint.

"What's going on?" asked Zoro, "Where's Yosaku?"

"That's just it!" replied Johnny.

Meanwhile, in the galley, "It looks like Zoro knows him," observed Usopp as he and Nami glanced out the window.

"But who is he?" wondered Nami.

"I'd guess that he's some sort of Bounty Hunter," replied Ricky, who still hadn't moved from the table.

"Listen to me!" Johnny said to Luffy and Zoro, "Yosaku is… dying!"

A little while later, the Straw Hat Pirates had tied Johnny's ship onto theirs and had gotten Yosaku onto the ship. Yosaku had pale skin and short gray hair. He wore red headgear, plaid yellow shorts, a long green hooded jacket with a black shirt underneath. Like his partner Johnny, he wielded a katana-like sword, but right now he was really sick.

"He was perfectly fine a few days ago," Johnny explained to the multi-colored Straw Hat Pirates, "Then he went pale and started passing out. I don't know what's wrong. His teeth are falling out and he's bleeding from old scars, I didn't know what to do. So I went to get some rest and think on that rock, then one of you shot a cannonball at me!"

"Forgive us," apologized Luffy and Usopp as the bowed to Johnny.

Ricky stared at Yosaku, _"I've seen this before,"_ he commented to himself. Then he turned and headed into the galley, he had a vague idea of what was going on.

"It's okay," sniffed Johnny as he tried to hide a sob, "What good are apologies anyway?" Johnny took a deep breath, "Our reputation has grown, pirates all over fear the names 'Johnny and Yosaku'. He's my trusted partner, we've been together for years!" Johnny paused and glanced at the Straw Hat Pirates, "Will he survive, Brothers?"

"Don't be stupid," Nami suddenly scolded him, she knew what this was.

"What the heck?" snapped Zoro, "Nami?"

"How dare you make light of my partner's condition!" growled Johnny.

Nami sighed then turned to Luffy and Usopp, "Luffy, Usopp, there are some limes in the galley, go and…" Ricky suddenly came out from the galley carrying a small bucket which he promptly handed to the Navigator. "Squeeze… some... juice…" Nami cut off when she saw that the bucket Ricky had handed her already had lime juice in it, Ricky promptly took the bucket from Nami and then poured some of the lime juice into Yosaku's mouth.

"Limes?" asked Johnny.

"Its scurvy," Nami explained while she watched Ricky tend to Yosaku, "With luck, he should recover in a few days." Nami smiled, despite Ricky's current paint-covered appearance he wasn't an idiot.

"Is that true Sister?" asked Johnny, looking hopeful.

"Don't call me that," Nami scolded him before continuing, "Generations ago, anyone who got scurvy would die. However, the cause of scurvy is poor nutrition. Fruits and vegetables rot on long voyages so there were no healthy foods on board."

"Wow, Nami, you're like a doctor," commented Luffy.

"I knew you were brilliant," added Usopp.

"THESE ARE BASIC THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU EXPECT TO SURVIVE AT SEA, MORONS!!" snapped Nami.

Nami watched Ricky climb up the central mast to the crow's nest. At least someone on this ship other than her knew _something _about sea travel.

**---x---**

A little while later, Johnny and Yosaku were up and were swinging each other around as the danced on the deck. Apparently Yosaku was feeling better, "Saved by lime juice!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, my brother is healthy now!" cheered Johnny.

"You're not well enough to dance," scolded Nami as she glared at the two dancing pirate hunters.

"Sorry," Johnny apologized as they stopped dancing, "time to introduce ourselves, I'm Johnny."

"And I'm Yosaku," continued Yosaku, "We're Brother Zoro's old Bounty Hunting Partners, pleased to meet you."

"I don't know how to thank you," Yosaku said to the Straw Hat Pirates, "I was sure that I was a goner!"

"I still can't believe it," commented Johnny, "'Pirate Hunter' Zoro… is a pirate!"

**KOFF! Gurgle! **Yosaku let out a gurgle and spat out blood then collapsed to the ground, Johnny quickly turned and checked on his partner.

"Just shut up and rest!" snapped Zoro as he glared at his two former partners.

"So, what have we learned today?" Nami asked the rest of the Straw Hat Crew.

"A long voyage at sea is filled with many dangers," answered Zoro.

"If those guys hadn't found us they'd be dead," offered Usopp, "You know, we still need someone who can make sure that everyone has enough food, we need a cook."

"He's right," agreed Nami, "That's very important."

"Okay I've decided," announced Luffy, "We'll look for a cook and we'll have a chance to eat good food!"

"Oh, Brother!" exclaimed Johnny as he raised his hand waiting to be called on.

"What is it Johnny?" Zoro inquired.

"If you need a chef, I know where to find one," replied Johnny, "But I'm not sure if he'll join." Johnny explained to the Straw Hat Pirates about the Ocean-Going Restaurant he had heard about.

"An Ocean Going Restaurant?" repeated Usopp in disbelief.

"Wait, do you mean the Baratie?" asked Ricky as he looked down from the crow's nest. **TMP!!** Ricky jumped over the edge of the crow's nest and landed in a crouch on the deck.

"That's the one. It's two or three days sailing from here," explained Johnny, "But be careful, its near the Grand Line, some rough customers frequent that place." Johnny then lowered his voice and whispered something else to Zoro, "Brother, they say that that 'Hawk Eye' you were hunting goes there."

"I'll take you there if you want," Johnny said to the other Straw Hat Pirates while Zoro stared in front of him in shock.

"You're hunting 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk?" whispered Ricky, who had been standing next to Zoro, "Good luck with that."

"You mean you've heard of him?" asked Zoro in a quiet voice.

"Heard of him? I've _seen_ him," replied Ricky in an equally quiet voice causing the former pirate hunter to turn and look at him in shock. Ricky grinned slyly then walked off into the storage room. Seeing that Ricky knew something that he wanted to know, Zoro followed after him.

**---x---**

**Promise to a Friend:**

**---x---**

Zoro entered the storage room to see Ricky sitting on the ground with a cannonball in front of him and a sack of gems next to him. Whatever Zoro had intending to ask Ricky when he came in left his mind and he asked something else, "What are you doing?"

"I'm hollowing out this cannonball," answered Ricky as he took a chisel and a hammer from a toolbox that had 'Usopp' written on it and started hammering it into the iron ball. **KLANK! TINK!!**

"I'll probably regret asking this but… _why_ are you hollowing out that cannonball?" questioned Zoro. **TINK!!**

"I'm hollowing it so I can keep Nami from finding my treasure," explained Ricky. **KLANK!! **"She's not the manual labor type and would probably force you, me, Luffy, or even Usopp to move these for her so she won't realize a thing." **TINK!!!**

"Wow, that's clever," commented Zoro.

"Of course it is," replied Ricky. **KLANK!! **"_I_ thought of it." Ricky kept hammering the chisel and the room was quiet except for an occasional **TINK!!** "Is there something else you wanted?" inquired Ricky, noting that Zoro was still standing there.

"Uh, yeah," answered Zoro. "Before you said you've seen Mihawk. He's the Greatest Swordsman in the World. I set out for the sole purpose of finding and beating him. What can you tell me about him?"

"Take a seat, grab a barrel of grog and a ball," instructed Ricky. "You and I can do one of the things I used to do on my old pirate crew."

"What's that?" asked Zoro.

"We can swap stories," explained Ricky. "On my old pirate crew sometimes we'd stay up all night sitting on the main deck telling each other about the different adventures we'd been on."

"I guess that'll work," agreed Zoro.

Zoro quickly fetched a pair of mugs then came back and opened one of the grog barrels in the storage room. Normally he'd be sleeping on the ship, not doing manual labor but Ricky had information about something he wanted to know about. After pouring himself a drink, Zoro picked a mallet and another chisel out of the toolbox that was marked with the name 'Usopp' and began helping Ricky hollow out some of the cannonballs.

"Now before I get started," prompted Ricky as he poured himself a mug of grog. "When Nami asks, we never had this conversation and we never did this. You have no idea where I keep my treasure hidden."

"Alright," agreed Zoro as he took a swig from his glass, "now tell me about Mihawk."

"As you know, Hawk Eye Mihawk is the World's Greatest Swordsman," Ricky began after taking a quick drink. "I met him once while I was on a mission for my captain with a few other members of our crew. Mihawk knew who our captain was and luckily he didn't attack us because he knew our captain would come after him. Mihawk didn't want to invoke my former Captain's wrath, no one does. One thing I've learned from being a pirate is…"

"**Hey guys, what are you doing in here!?"** came Luffy's loud voice as wandered into the storage room eating a big leg of meat. He watched the two of them curiously.

"We'reworking on cannonballs," answered Ricky. "Luffy, **don't** leave this room and **don't **keep what you saw to yourself."

"Ooookay," replied Luffy, he stayed where he was for a moment. Zoro and Ricky watched him and downed the rest of the grog in their mugs as one of Luffy's eyes started twitching. Before he could stop himself he left the room intent on not telling anyone what he had just seen.

"I thought you told him not to leave?" inquired Zoro. He poured them both another glass then they went back to working on the cannonballs. **TINK!! TONK!**

"Its reverse psychology," explained Ricky. "Like hypnotism, it works on the feeble-minded. I told him to do the opposite of what I wanted him to do which is what he's going to do." **KLANK!!**

"Wait, so he **did** leave the room and he **is** going to keep it to himself?" guessed Zoro, confusing himself.

"Yup," replied Ricky, he drank down half of his glass. "I'm surprised you got it." **TINK!!**

"I'm not even sure what I got," admitted Zoro as he drank the rest of his then poured them both another glass. "Uh… so back to your story?"

"Right," said Ricky. "If I've learned anything from being a pirate, it's that all of the strongest one's are quirky. 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk is no exception, he's usually very serious, at least that what I gathered from the one time I saw him. His idea of fun is traveling the world and fighting other swordsman. He's the best there is and he knows it so he seeks out the strongest swordsmen he can find and duels them to test himself. Other times he'll just attack pirates for no reason and turn them in to the World Government. That's his job as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"Kind of like I used to do?" asked Zoro.

"Sort of," answered Ricky. "The marines have an arrangement with him so he's a legalized pirate. They don't try to capture him and in return he captures pirates and they get share of the bounty. I was glad he didn't want to fight when I saw him, just being in his presence and looking in his eyes told me I wouldn't survive. I'll never forget his eyes… piercing yellow eyes like a hawk's. You could tell just by looking into them… he really is the World's Greatest Swordsman."

"Wow," said Zoro as he tried to picture the eyes that Ricky had described. He went to pour himself another mug of grog only to discover the barrel was empty. "This barrel's empty."

Ricky suddenly sat up straight and slid Zoro's cannonball over to his then turned over the empty grog barrel and put it on top of the two cannonballs just as Nami entered the room.

The sight that greeted Nami was Ricky and Zoro using a barrel for an arm wrestling contest. "What're you guys doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh Nami…" **WHAM!** Zoro took advantage of Ricky's distraction and slammed his arm down. "Well… apparently I just lost an arm wrestling contest… thanks. I want a rematch."

"What? You lost!"

"Nami distracted me."

"What kind of excuse is that?"

"QUIET!" scolded Nami. "Look… its getting late. And I plan on spending some time reading… then I'm going to go to sleep. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU TWO DRUNKEN IDIOTS MESSING AROUND!!"

"Sorry Nami," apologized Ricky. "We'll keep the noise down."

"See that you do," said Nami as she lifted the flap in the floor and disappeared down into her room. It was _supposed_ to be the Captain's quarters but Nami had told them all that as the only girl on the crew, she was taking the room and that she refused to sleep in the same room as a bunch of smelly guys. The door closed and locked after her.

Ricky and Zoro were silent for a moment then Ricky lifted the barrel off of the cannonballs. "That was close," he commented, "Back to work. It's your turn to tell a story."

"Oh… what do you want to know?" questioned Zoro as he picked up his hammer. **TINK!**

"You want to be the World's Greatest Swordsman, right?" inquired Ricky.

"Obviously," answered Zoro. **TONK!**

"Why?"

"I made a promise to a friend," answered Zoro.

"Well, let's hear about it," urged Ricky.

"Alright," conceded Zoro. "I guess it started when I was a boy…"

**---Zoro's Origin Flashback---**

Ever since he could remember, Zoro wanted to be a swordsman. He'd spend time watching the students practice in the dojo of any towns he came across. One day, he decided to stop watching from afar and actually enter one.

"Anyone here!?" called out a young Zoro as he entered the dojo he had been watching, interrupting the practice. "I'm here to take you're dojo's sign! Any strong person, come out and fight me!"

Koshiro, a bespectacled man with his long black haired tied back in a ponytail greeted Zoro warmly even though the boy was threatening to take the sign of his dojo. "You want to take the sign of my dojo, eh?"

(A/N: In the Funimation Dub of One Piece – which is superior to the 4-Kids Dub in every way imaginable – Koshiro is voiced by Chuck Huber. If I could choose anyone to voice Ricky, it would be him with something similar to his Android 17 voice.)

"Don't underestimate me because I'm a kid," Zoro warned him. "I'm undefeated in all the nearby towns."

"That's fine," replied Koshiro, "we accept your challenge."

"If I win, I'll take your sign," Zoro told him.

"And if you lose?" inquired Koshiro.

"Lose?" repeated Zoro. "If that happens… I'll join this place."

"Hahaha, that is acceptable," Koshiro happily agreed, then he turned and called out, "Kuina!"

The other students parted and an older girl with dark blue hair walked over carrying a bamboo training sword. She wore a loose white shirt and a pair of purple shorts. "Yes father?" asked Kuina.

"What the hell!?" snapped Zoro. "You're not the one fighting!?"

"Even though Kuina is a girl, she is stronger than any of the adults in the dojo," Koshiro explained. "I'm not a father that brags about his daughter."

"I got it," said Zoro.

"Then please come inside," instructed Koshiro as he led Zoro over to a basket filled with bamboo kendo sticks.

"I can use any of these?" asked Zoro.

"Yes, any that you please," answered Koshiro.

Zoro didn't need to be told twice so he reached out and grabbed as many swords as he could hold. He had four in each hand and was clenching one between his teeth.

"Let's begin," announced Koshiro.

"Yes, come and get me," challenged Zoro, somehow able to talk perfectly despite the bamboo stick in his mouth.

Koshiro had Zoro and Kuina do the traditional pre-match bowing, during which Zoro ended up dropping two of the kendo sticks he was holding.

"Begin!" ordered Koshiro as Kuina and Zoro turned to face each other.

**WOMP!!** Zoro barely managed to get his numerous swords up in time to block Kuina's first strike. **WOMP!!** Kuina broke Zoro's guard with her second strike and knocked him to the ground, sending all of his kendo sticks flying.

"_D-damn,"_ Zoro cursed to himself as he struggled and got up. He picked up two wooden weapons and got in a two-sword fighting stance, he wasn't going to lose to a girl.

"You… have been taught the two-sword technique?" questioned Kuina.

"How would I know?" asked Zoro. "This is the first time I ever held a kendo stick." He only used the real thing.

"The first time ever?" repeated Koshiro, he was impressed at Zoro's courage and determination.

"_Damn," _Zoro cursed to himself,_ "I'm strong and I'll become stronger. How can I lose to this girl!?"_

Zoro let out a yell and charged at Kuina wielding the two weapons, **WOMP!! **Kuina smashed her weapon down through Zoro's non-existent guard and smashed him clean on the face, leaving a red welt. Zoro fell to the ground, practically out cold and the Sensei stopped the match and awarded it to Kuina. Zoro had lost.

"This kid is like a boar," said Kuina.

"Hey, Kuina!" scolded Koshiro, who didn't approve of the insult.

"A poser like you is ten years too early to wield two swords," Kuina lectured Zoro.

"What!?" growled Zoro, taking offense.

"What's the matter?" Kuina taunted him, "Do you want to have a rematch?"

"Shit… no. A loss is a loss," admitted Zoro. Even at a young age, he was a man of his word.

"Good, very straight forward," commented Koshiro. "Then…"

"I'll join this place," Zoro agreed, that was the condition if he lost. "Got a problem with that?"

"I don't," answered Koshiro. He'd allow the young boy to join his dojo.

Kuina turned away and started to leave but Zoro called after her, "Hey! I'll continue to train and I _will_ beat you," he vowed. "Remember that!"

"That'll never happen," said Kuina.

That was how Zoro got started. He joined the dojo and practiced tirelessly to get better. Because of his dedication and determination he improved and became the best of the boys. He'd beat everyone in the dojo… except for Kuina. He could never beat her no matter how hard he trained.

**WOMP!!** Kuina connected with a solid shot to Zoro's face. "Single blow, stop!" ordered the official. "Winner, Kuina. Two thousand wins, zero losses."

"Damn," Zoro cursed from the floor.

"You're weak as usual," Kuina mocked him as she stood over the defeated Zoro. "How can you be so weak as a man?"

"Zoro isn't weak, right?" one of the other boys asked the boy next to him.

"He's the strongest of the male students," said another boy.

"He even wins against the adults," a third boy added..

"But he's weaker than me," pointed out Kuina. "Even with two katana a weak guy is a weak guy. A dog that loses should stay quiet, barking about it only makes it more pitiful." With that last insult, Kuina left.

Zoro stood up and began dusting himself off, a red welt was on his face from where the bamboo kendo stick had made contact with his face. "You've gotten stronger Zoro," Koshiro assured him.

"Sensei, you're not giving her special treatment because she's your daughter are you?" asked one of the students.

"No I wouldn't do anything like that," answered Koshiro. "It's true that Zoro has gotten stronger. However, Kuina has also gotten stronger." Zoro had been a student of the dojo for a year now and had improved remarkably but he still couldn't beat Kuina.

Zoro left the dojo to go wash his face and complained to himself about his latest loss. _"Why can't I beat Kuina? Why!? I'm going to become the Greatest Swordsman in the World! But why can't I beat her!?"_ Zoro decided to continue trying, like he had been for the passed year. "Tonight, I will duel her once more," Zoro decided.

Later that night, Zoro ran towards the dojo carrying two _real_ swords with him. Zoro stopped running when he saw Kuina sitting next to a training post along the side of the road. She was holding a tissue and appeared to be crying about something… not that Zoro noticed.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Zoro.

"That's what I wanted to ask you." said Kuina. "What are you doing here during this time of night?"

"I came here to request our two thousand and first battle," answered Zoro. "This will be our last duel, let's end this. Fight me with a katana! You do have a real sword right?"

"Fine," agreed Kuina. She left and went to the dojo to get her sword. A sword in a white sheath with a white blade called _Wado Ichimonji – The One Road of Harmony_, not that Zoro knew that was what it was called.

Kuina and Zoro met up in an open field and brought their swords with them, Kuina had her sword _Wado Ichimonji_ and Zoro had two katana.

Zoro let out a yell and charged across the field at Kuina, it was time to fight. **KLANG!!** Zoro attacked with his first sword but Kuina blocked it. **SWISH!!** Zoro swung his other sword around but Kuina moved her head out of the way causing Zoro to only cut off bits of her hair. **KLANG!!** Zoro used his first katana to block Kuina's follow up attack.

Kuina pushed Zoro away from her and the two of them stared down then charge again. **KLANG! KLANG! SHING!!** They fought hard and furiously neither of them getting passed the other's defenses. The duel went on for a long time and both of them started getting tired, Kuina noticed this and called Zoro out on it.

"Two real swords must be heavy," commented Kuina. "It seems you still lack a bit of stamina."

"SHUT UP!!" yelled Zoro as he rushed at Kuina.

Zoro was letting his temper get the better of him and Kuina used that as an opening, **KLANG!!** Kuina connected with a hard strike, taking Zoro by surprise and sending him and his swords flying. **SHUNK!!** As Zoro dropped to the ground Kuina drove the tip of her sword into the ground beside Zoro's head, signifying that she could have killed him if she wanted to. Kuina had won… again.

"This is my two thousand and first win," boasted Kuina as Zoro's swords finally landed and embedded themselves into the ground nearby.

"Damn it…" sobbed Zoro, he couldn't help it, he started crying. No matter what he did he couldn't beat Kuina. "Shit… I can't accept this…"

"I'm the one who wants to cry because I can't accept it," Kuina told him. Zoro stopped crying and stared up at Kuina in surprise. "Girls, when we grow up, we become weaker than men. I'll probably be overtaken by you soon. You always said you'd become the best swordsman in the world. My father told me that it's impossible for a woman. I know…I already know this. But… but I can't accept it!"

"Zoro, it must be nice to be a man," commented Kuina as Zoro pulled himself up off of the ground. "I also want to become the world's greatest swordsman. But I'm starting to grow breasts… if I had been born a boy…" Kuina trailed off and started crying.

"After beating me how can you say such weak words!?" demanded Zoro, causing Kuina to stop crying and stare at him. "That's despicable! Beating you has been by goal all this time!"

"Zoro…" said Kuina.

"It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman!" snapped Zoro. "Is that what you're gonna say when I beat you one day!? As if it wasn't because of my skills? It makes me, who has been training hard, a complete fool! Don't say things like that!"

Zoro walked up to Kuina and stared up at her. "Promise me that one day, either you or me will be the greatest swordsman in the world! We'll compete to see who does it!"

"Stupid, saying that even though you're weak," teased Kuina, Zoro just glared at her and held out his hand.

Kuina reached out and shook it, "It's a promise," they vowed together.

**---x---**

The next day Zoro was off training when his life was changed forever. _"I must increase my stamina,"_ Zoro said to himself. _"Until I can hold as many swords as I want, if two isn't enough I'll use three!"_ But that was when he noticed three of the other students from the dojo, they seemed upset about something.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Zoro.

They didn't answer immediately, but eventually one of them did. "Kuina is… Kuina is dead."

At that moment, time stopped for Zoro. His rival Kuina had died. Just last night they had both promised that one of them would become the World's Greatest Swordsman but now Kuina was dead and she'd never be able to fulfill that promise.

**---x---**

"She missed her footing on the stairs in the storage room," commented one of the men carrying Kuina's casket. Zoro was numbly following after it. "It seems she went in there to get her sword's whetstone. She was just a kid… who knows what will happen tomorrow."

From there Zoro completely threw himself into his training and practicing. He beat everyone in the dojo, he increased the size and weight of the weights he lifted. He trained furiously, knowing that now he was training for both himself and for Kuina.

One day he was hacking away at a pair of training posts with his two kendo sticks when his strength overpowered the posts and broke them. When Zoro finally calmed down he realized that someone was watching him. He turned around to find Koshiro, Kuina's father watching him.

Koshiro led Zoro into the dojo and the two of them knelt and meditated. "Humans are really fragile beings Zoro," said Koshiro. "Kuina was… that girl hated to lose. Ever since she was little she trained in the dojo, obtaining skills that would even beat adults. Because of that she became arrogant. At that time Zoro, you appeared before us. I sincerely thank you. To be able to beat you, who was becoming stronger day by day, she concentrated on her training even more. She didn't want to lose to a boy like you so she started breaking the obstacles of being a swordswoman. I'm just an ordinary father after all. Even now when I look at you… I feel a pain in my heart."

A puddle of tears was forming between Zoro's knees, he couldn't keep himself from crying. "Sensei," said Zoro. "That katana, please give it to me."

"Kuina's katana?" questioned the Sensei.

"I will take her share of the training and become even stronger!!" Zoro vowed. "I'll become so strong that my name will reach the heavens! I'll become the strongest swordsman in the world! We promised…"

"That's fine," said Koshiro as he picked up _Wado Ichimonji_ and held it out to Zoro. "Kuina's soul and dreams… I leave them to you."

**---End Zoro's Origin Flashback---**

"He gave me Kuina's sword and now I'm carrying on for the both of us," continued Zoro. "We promised that one of us was going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman and since she can't… it's gonna be me now. I took Kuina's sword and changed my two-sword style to a three-sword style, Santōryū. I'm fighting for both of us now and one day I'm going to beat 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk and become the World's Greatest Swordsman."

"Then I'll do everything I can to help you realize that dream of yours," said Ricky as he poured the sack of gems into the cannonball that Zoro had finished hollowing out.

"You're going to _help_ me?" questioned Zoro.

"We're Nakama," explained Ricky as he sealed up the cannonball then rolled it into the far corner. "We're like family so that means we work to help each other achieve our dreams. The most important things to a person are their dreams and their Nakama. As a result, my Nakama's dreams are important to me. Do you think I'd find One Piece and let just anybody have it? Luffy's dream is to become the King of the Pirates, I just wanna be there and find the treasure that no one else has seen or found. Then it's all his. Usopp wants to be a Brave Warrior of the Sea so I'm going to push him and make sure he does that. I'm doing what I can to find out about Nami, but for now… I'll push you."

"Huh?" questioned Zoro as Ricky got up to his feet and wandered over to the door.

"We were in here a while…" commented Ricky. "It's dark out… but the moon appears to be providing enough light." Ricky looked over his shoulder and grinned at Zoro, "Are you up for a duel? Or are you as weak as Kuina thinks you are?"

"You mean _thought_?" clarified Zoro.

"No, I'm pretty sure she still thinks you're weak now," Ricky assured him as he left the room.

"Alright, you're going down," Zoro warned him as he got up and followed Ricky.

"Maybe you can help me out with something too," Ricky reasoned. "I wanna figure out a way to replicate that speed technique that Kuro used. You and Luffy are all about power, strength, and durability when you fight, I'm about speed, quickness, and resourcefulness. A technique like that will be a huge help to my skills."

"I'll see what I can do to help," Zoro agreed as he drew _Wado Ichimonji, _"For now... en garde!"

The Straw Hats were heading for the Baratie in search of a cook, would they be able to find one? Or would they end up finding something totally unexpected?

**---x---**

And there's the first chapter of the Baratie Arc. In the anime the 'Zoro's Origin' flashback appears in this 'episode'. Since I didn't put it in back in the beginning where the manga has it, I decided to put it in now and use it as an opportunity to create a bond between Ricky and Zoro. Next chapter, the Straw Hats encounter a cook named Sanji.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	23. Chapter 22

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Sanji**

**---x---**

Two days later, the seagulls were flying overhead when Johnny woke the Straw Hats with a loud shout, "Here we are!" announced Johnny, "the Ocean-Going restaurant."

"Brother Zoro! Brother Luffy! Brother Usopp! Brother Ricky! Sister Nami!" Yosaku called out, waking the five person pirate crew.

"Do they have to call me 'sister'?" complained Nami.

"I'm not exactly thrilled with being called 'brother' either," Ricky replied as he walked over to the side of the ship and stared at the restaurant.

Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp also woke up and glanced at the floating restaurant they were approaching. Upon closer glance it looked like the restaurant was on top of a floating fish.

"What do you think?" Johnny asked, as Nami, Usopp, and Luffy looked at the restaurant in awe.

"What a big fish!" Luffy remarked.

"Wow!" said Nami in amazement.

"It's so cool!" Usopp shouted.

"Guys…" Ricky called out, "We've got company…"

Everyone on board the Going Merry turned to where Ricky was pointing and saw a marine ship approaching from behind them.

"A marine ship!" Luffy exclaimed. "Where'd it come from?"

"I hope they don't attack us," Usopp whimpered.

"Hoping isn't gonna cut it," Ricky corrected him as the marines on board the ship positioned their cannon so it was pointing at the Going Merry. "We're pirates, it's not like they're gonna turn down an opportunity to sink our ship."

"Hey _we're_ not pirates!" Johnny pointed out, as he and Yosaku ducked down behind the railing.

"Who's that guy?" Yosaku wondered.

"_I've never seen that flag before,"_ the Marine Officer thought to himself, before calling out to the pirates, "I am Lieutenant 'Iron Fist' Fullbody, of the Marines. Who is your Captain?" Lt. Fullbody had gray hair and a scar going down his face under his left eye. Iron bolts were attached to his knuckles on both hands, giving him the nickname 'Iron Fist' when he used the bolts as knuckle dusters when he punched people. Fullbody wore a fancy purple pinstripe suit instead of a marine uniform and looked like he was here to eat, not capture pirates.

"I am! Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy answered, taking responsibility for his ship and crew. "We just finished our flag two days ago."

"Two days ago?" repeated Johnny.

"Hahaha, what amateurs," Yosaku laughed.

"I'm Usopp!" added Usopp, who was feeling left out.

"I've seen you both before," Fullbody realized, as he noticed Johnny and Yosaku, "You visit the Government Agencies a lot. You're those two-bit Pirate Hunters Johnny and Yosaku. Caught by pirates huh?"

"Hey, Yosaku," Johnny snapped at his partner, "That guy just insulted us!"

"Two-bit, he can't call us that!" Yosaku protested, "He has insulted our honor. Let's make Mr. Fancy-pants revise his view of us!"

"BRACE YOURSELF YOU STUPID MARINE!" Johnny yelled as he and Yosaku leapt from the Going Merry with their swords drawn.

**POW!! SWISH… POW!! THUD! THUD! **Seconds later Johnny and Yosaku came crashing back down on the deck of the Going Merry. "Almost… got him," groaned the two Bounty Hunters.

"You guys are really weak," Luffy stated as he glanced down at the two beaten Bounty Hunters.

"He's really tough!" Yosaku argued.

"We almost… got him," Johnny groaned again, he'd apparently been knocked silly.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked as he stood over the two fallen bounty hunters.

"Losing apparently," Ricky replied.

Zoro was saved from answering when a feminine voice called out to Fullbody. "**Fullbody, stop teasing them and let's go!**" A beautiful woman with pale blonde hair and a low cut red dress. Her name was Moodie, and she was Fullbody's date, not wanting the Marine Lieutenant to blow off their date she grabbed him and pulled him back into the ship so they could get to the Baratie and get something to eat.

"Yes dear," Fullbody conceded.

"You're lucky it's my day off!" Fullbody warned the pirates, "I've just come to eat and have a good time. But you'd better be careful, if I meet you again while I'm on duty, none of you will survive!"

"Hey, Johnny what's this?" Nami inquired as she knelt down next to some papers that the Bounty Hunter had dropped.

"They're wanted posters, Sister Nami," answered Johnny with a groan as Nami picked up a wanted poster and glared at it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Ricky doing the exact same thing but with a different poster.

"If we can kill those people we get that bounty," the Bounty Hunter explained as he watched Nami silently glare at one poster in particular. "Something wrong?"

Nami shook her head and told Johnny she was fine then she glanced at Ricky who was glaring at a wanted poster of his own. Without looking at her he addressed Nami, "If you show me yours, I'll show you mine…"

Nami shook her head and slid the wanted poster under another one to hide it while she watched Ricky fold up his poster before putting it in his bottom right pocket. Nami made a mental note to check that out later. Usopp's screams brought both Ricky and Nami back to reality.

"THIS IS BAD! THOSE MARINES ARE AIMING THEIR CANNONS AT US!" Usopp shouted.

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Yosaku.

Fullbody turned to a Marine and told him, "Sink it," before heading off of the ship.

**KA-BOOM!** "THEY'RE FIRING ON US!" Usopp shrieked.

"Leave it to me!" Luffy assured his crew as he jumped up into the air, "GUM… GUM…" **WHUP!! **Luffy quickly jumped up into the air and blocked the cannonball with his rubber body. He quickly grabbed onto the sheep figurehead and the railing in front of the galley door then stretched backwards as the cannonball pushed him. "…SLINGSHOT!! TAKE THIS BACK!" **WHIP!** At the last second Luffy lost his hold on the figure head and launched the cannonball in the wrong direction, **BOING!!** The askew cannonball went flying… **KRASH!!** …and blew a hole in the roof of the Ocean-Going Restaurant.

"You returned it to the wrong place you idiot!" Zoro snapped.

"Oh great," Nami sighed as Luffy fell down to the deck in shock of what he had just done.

"Remember," Ricky cautioned her, "When the chefs come out here and start asking questions, we were in the galley and you were strangling me."

"Are you sure you don't want to _actually_ do that?" Nami asked hopefully.

**---x---**

A few minutes later chefs from the Baratie had stormed the Going Merry and ended up taking Luffy off to see the Head Chef. Lt. Fullbody and Moodie had gone on board the Ocean Going restaurant and the Marines had stopped attacking, they were still shocked from seeing what Luffy had done with their cannonball. This left the four remaining Straw Hat Pirates and the two Bounty Hunters on their own on the ship.

"That man over there," one customer whispered to another, "that's Lt. Fullbody."

"The Marine Officer?"

"He's so handsome."

"Every eye is on you," Moodie observed, as she smiled at the Lieutenant.

"Don't say that, they're all looking at you," replied Fullbody.

Fullbody suddenly held up a hand as he inhaled the scent of the wine in his cup, "That smell, it's delightful. From the North… from Mikkyuo… I'm absolutely certain it's Iturutsubulga Stein… am I right, waiter?" questioned Fullbody in an attempt to show off and woo his date.

"**You're dead wrong,"** the blonde waiter answered, his hair was long enough that it hid his left eye, but his right eye was still visible as was the spiral-shaped eyebrow that was over it, he had short stubble of a beard on his chin, but it was hardly noticeable. He wore a black suit and a black tie and had a blue collared shirt on under the jacket. He looked a lot like a duck and was currently smoking a cigarette. But this wasn't just a simple waiter. He was Sanji, the Assistant Head Chef. "And I'm the Assistant Head Chef," corrected Sanji as he approached the table carrying two bowls of soup, "All of the waiters jumped ship a month ago." Sanji placed the soup on the table, "Your soup, enjoy it while it's hot." With that Sanji walked off.

"Shh, don't laugh at him," a customer scolded another.

"But he was so sure of himself," sniggered another customer who couldn't help but laughing at Fullbody's expense.

"You know a lot about wine," Moodie commented in an attempt to cheer up the aggravated Lieutenant.

"I'm a little sick," Fullbody lied, "My palate is a little off today." But that really wasn't the problem, _"What the hell is going on?"_ demanded Fullbody in his head, _"I ordered that specific wine with the owner beforehand!"_ That waiter… or Assistant Chef had just made a fool out of him. No one makes a fool out of Lieutenant Fullbody!

**---x---**

Meanwhile in another part of the restaurant, some of the other Chefs were checking on the Head Chef. "Chef, are you sure you're alright?" asked one of the Chefs.

"If course I'm not alright," the Head Chef snapped as he stood up on his one good leg and his peg leg, the cannonball had blasted through the ceiling of his room and hit him. The rim of his ridiculously tall chefs hat (the thing nearly touched the non-existent ceiling) was clotted with the Head Chef's blood. "But there's work to be done!"

"But Chef… your wounds…" protested the Chef.

"Are you defying me?" Head Chef Zeff demanded, as he straightened his long blond braided mustache. "A Chef must feed his customers! Are you trying to put me out of business?"

"We got him Chef!" two cooks announced as they dragged Luffy into the room. "He's the one who destroyed your restaurant!"

"I'm really really sorry!" Luffy apologized, who suddenly noticed Zeff's leg, "I… BLEW OFF YOUR FOOT!!?"

"Oh I see, you lost your foot long ago," Luffy commented once Zeff had explained that Luffy hadn't been the reason he had a peg leg.

"But you did hurt me," Zeff reminded the Straw Hat Pirate, "Now, you don't have any money… so you'll have to pay us by working here."

"Okay I'll do it," Luffy accepted immediately.

"You'll have to work for one year, then we'll call it even," continued Zeff.

"A WHOLE YEAR!?" Luffy exclaimed in disbelief, he was expecting something a lot less.

**---x---**

Outside the other Straw Hat Pirates were waiting in their ship, "I wonder where Luffy is," said Zoro out loud. "They probably made him wash dishes for a month."

"That honest idiot," Nami sighed, "He should have blamed it on the Marine Ship."

"That's Luffy," Ricky muttered, "He can't lie to save his life. At least we had an alibi."

"Wanna check on him?" asked Usopp, "Then maybe we can eat!"

"That's actually a good idea," Ricky commented as he stood up. "I'll just run and get some money to pay for our food." Ricky walked over to the railing and pulled off his boots and then his sleeveless black shirt, exposing his muscular frame while leaving him in just his black pants and eye patch.

Nami stared wide-eyed at the shirtless pirate in front of her, he had a lean physique but his muscles were clearly defined. His slightly loose shirt did a good job of hiding his broad shoulders, developed chest muscles, and – was that an eight-pack? Nami suddenly realized what she was doing and quickly turned around. "WARN SOMEBODY BEFORE YOU START STRIPPING, PERVERT!!" Nami shouted. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

Ricky stood there and cleaned out his ear, "I'm going to get some money at the expense of that marine," Ricky explained. "The cooks at the restaurant won't feed us if we don't have money. I don't run out on checks like _some people_."

"And stealing money for the meal is _so_ much better," Nami muttered still facing away from him.

"You weren't complaining when Buggy's treasure paid for that meal in Syrup Village," Ricky pointed out. "Alright, I've wasted enough time, I'll be back in a bit." Ricky promptly ran to the railing of the ship and dove over it into the water. **SPLASH!!**

"You think he'll be alright?" asked Usopp.

"He's obviously done this before," Zoro reasoned, "he'll be fine."

**---x---**

Back inside the restaurant, Lieutenant Fullbody was about to enact his revenge on Sanji, "WAITER!" Fullbody called across the restaurant.

"I told you I'm not a waiter," said Sanji was he walked over, but then he noticed Fullbody's lady friend, "What a beautiful lady!" Sanji swooned. "Um… Miss, how would you like to have a drink with me? I'll let you sample some of my private wine stock."

"Oh…" said Moodie, not sure what to make of the flirtatious Assistant Head Chef's attempts to seduce her.

"HEY!" called out Fullbody, drawing Sanji's attention back to him, "What kind of third-rate place serves soup with bugs in it?" Fullbody pointed out the fly, that he had cleverly put in his own soup. _"Ha ha ha, embarrass me will you?"_ laughed Fullbody in his head, _"When I'm done with you, your reputation will be in splinters!"_

"What is this fly doing in my soup!?" Fullbody demanded.

"Well, I'm no insect expert," Sanji admitted, "But it appears to be doing the backstroke."

The customers within ear shot began laughing as Sanji once again succeeded in embarrassing Lieutenant Fullbody. But the Marine Lieutenant had had enough, **KRASH!!** Fullbody drove his iron fist through the table and crushed it, spilling the soup onto the floor in the process.

"DO YOU REALIZE WHO I AM!?" Fullbody shouted as he stood up and glared at Sanji.

"It took three days to prepare that soup for you, you could have eaten it if you removed the insect," Sanji said as he knelt down and attempted to clean up the now wasted soup. Strike one.

"I'M A CUSTOMER!" Fullbody yelled. **STOMP!** The Lieutenant brought his foot down on Sanji's hand, "You're just a Chef! How dare you make fun of me!" The Assistant Head Chef's visible eye narrowed, a cook's hands were his most important cooking tools and had to be protected at all costs. Strike two.

"Stop it Fullbody," Moodie warned him as sheplaced her arms on the Lieutenant's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "Let it go!"

**WHUMP!** Without thinking Fullbody shoved his date out of the way, knocking her to the ground, he was pissed but he wasn't the only one.

Sanji's eyes narrowed even further. The Marine Lieutenant had just shoved a lady, no one harmed a lady in Sanji's presence. STRIKE THREE! THIS BASTARD'S DEAD!

"Will your money satisfy your hunger?" asked Sanji as he glared at Fullbody and yanked his hand away.

"Sanji don't do it!" a cook cried out as he peered out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was, he quickly turned to the chefs that were with him, "We've gotta stop him!"

Sanji dropped down onto his hands and swung his legs around, aiming them at the poor bastard that had managed to piss him off. **THWAK! **The chefs were too late and in a matter of seconds the Assistant Head Chef had kicked the crap out of the Marine Lieutenant. Blood was dripping from Fullbody's mouth as Sanji held him up by the throat. All of the customers gasped in shock of seeing Sanji attack a customer.

"When you offend a cook at sea you're signing your own death warrant," the cook threatened the marine, "Never waste food in front of me again. Never damage a chef's hands in front of me again. And finally, NEVER hurt a lady in front of me again." No one was sure if Fullbody heard Sanji or not, all he was doing was bleeding.

**---x---**

**Three Tough Cooks**

**---x---**

"Give me a break," Luffy complained, he was still in Head Chef Zeff's quarters, "I'll work for one week."

"Don't insult me boy!" Zeff snapped, "Your witless bombardment damaged my establishment and injured me. One measly week of work won't do. You'll serve me for one year."

"I won't!" Luffy refused, "I've already waited ten years to become a pirate! I won't wait another whole year! So that's my last offer, I'll let you permit me to work it off in one week."

"You don't get to decide you brat!" exclaimed Zeff, who just as Sanji had just done down in the dining room, pushed himself up off of the bed with his hands and swung his leg and peg-leg around before connecting with Luffy's neck, **CHUNK!!**

"What I'll permit is for me to decide!" Zeff shouted down at Luffy, who had been knocked to the ground.

"You must be feeling better," Luffy remarked from the ground.

"SHUT UP!" Zeff ordered, "okay kid… since your time is so precious… I'll offer you a quick way out of this. GIVE ME ONE OF YOUR LEGS!"

"I don't want to," said Luffy, "That's crazy mister!"

"What you want doesn't matter boy!" Zeff yelled as he launched himself up into the air, **WHOOM!! **Zeff came crashing down on top of Luffy, "CHEF SPECIAL… LEG DROP!!"

**---x---**

But while Zeff and Luffy's confrontation was going on, Ricky was still in the process of obtaining some money. He had successfully snuck on board Fullbody's Marine Vessel and was discretely making his way to the treasure hold. He had almost reached it when he heard marines shouting something at the other end of the hallway.

Ricky yanked open the door of a conveniently placed closet and slipped inside it. Unfortunately, the closet was already occupied.

"You're not a marine," Ricky observed, as he glanced at the other person in the closet… he looked like a starved pirate.

"Neither are you," the other pirate pointed out. The two of them were silent as they listened to the sounds of the marines frantically running around the ship.

**Grumble…**

"Please tell me that was your stomach," Ricky whispered.

"It was."

"There's a restaurant nearby if you're interested," Ricky told him, "but they don't like pirates much."

"Food… I haven't eaten in days," commented the other pirate. "I'll risk it."

"In that case, I never saw you… and you never saw me," Ricky reminded him.

"I can deal with that," agreed the other pirate, he soundlessly opened the door and slipped out of the closet. Ricky followed after him then they went their separate ways, Ricky to the treasure storage and the other pirate for a way off the the way Ricky ducked around a corner and grabbed a marine as he ran by. A minute later, Ricky walked around the corner wearing the marine uniform and his sunglasses which hid his eye patch from view. As long as no one noticed his still wet pants he'd pass as an ordinary red-haired marine. With his disguise in place he casually walked to the treasure hold and proceeded to steal everything he could find. It was a little over two million berries.

**---x---**

In a washroom in the Baratie Patty the Fry Cook was preparing to confront the customers for his shift. Patty was a large man with huge forearms and broad shoulders, short hair, and a strange black goatee on his chin. He wore a dark blue shirt and shorts and had white apron around his waist, a pink neckerchief was tied around his neck. He looked like a cook you didn't want to cross.

"Da customer is King!" Patty said to his reflection in the mirror as he tugged out a nose hair, "Customer service is love! The Baratie is love! Yup… that's our motto!"

"Step one," Patty continued, "A friendly greeting… Welcome Squid-face!" Patty smiled at the mirror not entirely grasping the concept of friendly language. Patty continued to run through his lines, all of which were off by quite a bit, "Come again yesterday! Pardon Mon-sewer! That'll be 30,000 berries, pay up sucker!"

Patty left the washroom and headed for the Dining Room, "Enjoy your poop. Yup, perfect as usual." Patty walked happily onward towards the Dining Room, not knowing that his lingo wouldn't be winning him any points with the customers, "Yup, our motto is, _'The Customer is King'_!"

Patty walked into the Dining Room, and what he saw there made his eyes pop open in shock, Assistant Head Chef Sanji was holding a bloody and beaten customer up by the throat. "WHAT? A CUSTOMER!?"

"Again Sanji!" Patty yelled, as he rushed over, "What're you doing to dat customer? He's a Marine Officer!"

"Oh, hello crap cooker," Sanji greeted him without putting down Lieutenant Fullbody.

"Watch how you talk to me!" scolded Patty, "How dare you call me 'crap cooker', crap _server_! Customers are the life's blood of a restaurant! So why is his life's blood dripping out of him? Explain yourself!"

"Customer?" questioned Sanji, as he tossed Fullbody to the side, "This lowlife bastard wasted precious food and insulted our cooks… so I taught him some etiquette."

"This place stinks!" Fullbody complained, "The food is full of bugs… and the service leaves a lot to be desired. I'll close you down! I'll inform the authorities! A restaurant should…"

"Close us down?" Sanji interrupted, "Not if I close you down first!"

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Fullbody in disbelief as Sanji rushed at him.

"Don't do it Sanji!" shouted some chefs as the ran over and grabbed Sanji in an attempt to hold him back.

"Now I'm really mad!" Sanji yelled as he struggled against the three cooks that were holding him back.

"Hold him or the Lieutenant's a dead man!" shouted one chef to the other two, "Cool down Sanji!"

"I CAN'T STAND IGNORANT BASTARDS LIKE HIM!" Sanji snarled as he continued to struggle, "I'll get you, you piece of crap!!"

"Eek!" squealed Fullbody in fright, _"Is he insane!?"_

Suddenly cracks appeared in the ceiling above them, **KA-BOOSH!! **HeadChef Zeff and Straw Hat Luffy came crashing through the hole and hit the ground hard. "Now what!?" exclaimed Fullbody.

"That was scary," commented Luffy as he and Zeff pulled themselves up to their feet.

"Chef what are you doing!" exclaimed one of the other chefs, who then pointed up at the hole Zeff and Luffy had just fallen through, "Look what happened to the ceiling!"

"THAT'S YOUR FAULT BRAT!" Zeff snapped.

"YOU JUMPED ON ME TOO HARD!" Luffy argued.

"Head Chef Zeff! You've gotta stop Sanji!" shouted one of the Chefs that had still managed to keep a hold in the Assistant Head Chef through the whole ordeal.

"Sanji, attacking the clientele again?" questioned Zeff as he turned from Luffy to Sanji.

"Zip it you old geezer!" Sanji retorted, he was still struggling to get free from the other cooks.

"He sure is!" Patty answered for Sanji, "And this one's a Marine Lieutenant!"

"Do you want to ruin me!?" snapped Zeff as he lashed out his leg and kicked Sanji hard in the shoulder, sending the Assistant Head Chef staggering backwards.

"Hey I know that guy!" Luffy realized when he saw Fullbody, "He's the cannon man!"

**WHAM!! **Zeff swung his leg around and kicked Fullbody right in the face, sending him crashing back down to the ground and then rolling away. _"What! Even the Head Chef!" _Who _wasn'_t he going to get attacked by? _"None of you knows how to treat a customer!" _Fullbody shouted in his head, _"Don't you realize who I am? You're an awful bunch of restaurant chefs, you're worse than pirates!"_

"The customer is King! Got dat!" Patty lectured Sanji.

"Only if they're willing to eat your slop," Sanji argued as he took a draw from his cigarette.

"Patty! Sanji!" scolded Zeff, "If you're gonna fight, do it in the kitchen!"

"_Are they really Cooks?"_ Fullbody wondered as he stared from Zeff, to Sanji, to Patty, all three of them were tougher than any chef he had seen before.

**SLAM!! **The doors to the restaurant crashed opened and a Marine ran in, "Lieutenant Fullbody! It's terrible!" shouted a Marine, "Sorry sir… he got away from the ship's brig!"

"This place is a madhouse!" remarked an amused Luffy.

"That pirate of Kreig's escaped!" exclaimed the Marine, "We wanted to question him but he beat up seven of us and got away! We also have reason to believe that he stole the treasure we had on board!"

"Impossible!" Fullbody snapped, "When we captured him three days ago he was half dead from starvation! And we haven't fed him!"

Around the restaurant a commotion was arising, "Kreig? Kreig's pirates!" exclaimed a customer.

"They're the toughest pirates in the East Blue!" another added.

**BOOM!!** A loud shot rang out from the direction of the door, "Forgive me sir," the Marine apologized, customers screamed as the marine fell to the ground. In the doorway behind him stood a pirate with a raised pistol.

"Customer party of one," announced Patty.

"He'd better not try to bust up my place," commented Zeff.

"A pirate!" observed Luffy.

Sanji didn't say anything he just took another drag from his cigarette.

The pirate walked passed Lieutenant Fullbody, then sat down at a table, "Bring me food," requested the pirate, he had black hair, dark skin, and wore a bandana around his forehead. On each of his ears he had two red balls as earrings. He wore gray pants and an opened gray shirt lined with blue strips going down the arms and two red serpents on the front of it, there was a dark green shirt underneath. "Anything… I was told this was a mess joint. It is, right?"

"Welcome Mon-sewer!" Patty greeted him as he made his way over.

"What did he say?" wondered a customer.

"I'm only saying this one more time," the pirate aid as he glared at Patty, "I'm a customer, bring me food."

"That cook… he's dead meat!" muttered Lt. Fullbody.

"And might I be so bold as to ask, how you'll be paying for you meal?" inquired Patty.

"You take lead?" the pirate offered as he held his pistol up to Patty's forehead.

"You don't got money?" said Patty. Patty raised his hands up in the air, **WAK-KRASH!! **Patty drove his fists down into the pirate's skull, breaking the chair apart while sending the pirate crashing to the ground.

The customers cheered while Fullbody looked on in shock at the cook that had beaten down a Kreig Pirate. "Darn it Patty you busted my chair!" scolded Zeff.

"He's strong," commented Luffy.

"If you can't pay, you ain't a customer!" Patty growled as he glared down at the pirate.

"Yay Patty! Finish that scum!" cheered the cooks that were watching.

**GURGLE!! **The pirate at Patty's feet let out an involuntary gurgle sound, which was heard by Sanji who was standing nearby. "His stomach's growling."

"You idiot! That was a fart!" the pirate snapped, "Just gimme some food!"

"You're no customer! So get lost!" Patty shouted while Sanji stood by and watched as Patty kicked the pirate in the ribs, **BAM!! FWAP!! THUD!! **"A customer is a restaurant's life's blood, but I wouldn't give you yesterday's rice!"

"I've had enough," said Fullbody as he headed through the door, "I'm leaving this roughhouse."

**BANG!! KRASH!! **Patty kicked the pirate again, and the pirate fell to the ground unconscious. "Dear customers," Patty addressed the remaining customers in the restaurant, "Please enjoy your meal."

**---x---**

A little while later the pirate had been tossed out of the dining room and woke up to find himself laying out on the deck. **CLINK! **Sanji set a plate of food down in front of the pirate, "Eat," said Sanji as he sat down next to the pirate.

"FOOD!" the pirate cheered, he began eating like he hadn't had a bite to eat in weeks… which might actually be the case. "I'm not worthy," the pirate praised Sanji, "I never tasted nothin' so delicious! It's better'n I deserve, certain it is. I thought I was a goner, I was a dead man for sure."

"Good huh?" questioned Sanji.

"Aha! I've found you," exclaimed Luffy from the deck above them, once he saw Sanji, "MY COOK!"

**---x---**

At long last, Sanji's been introduced! I hope that meets the expectations of everyone who was waiting for him to appear.

Patty's actions will have repercussions, next chapter is just the calm before the storm.

Review please! I try to personally respond to every signed review I receive that's more than 'good job'. I'll answer questions, offer a sneak peak at the next chapter, or tell you when I plan to have the next chapter up. Feel free to ask questions and comment on what you liked and didn't like. I'll try to reply in a timely manner.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	24. Chapter 23

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Before the Storm**

**---x---**

"You sure got lucky," Luffy commented as he looked down at Sanji and the previously starving pirate. "That food saved you, you darn near starved to death! Hahahahaha!" Luffy turned to Sanji, "Hey Mr. Cook, join us! Be the cook for my pirate crew!"

"You're a pirate?" questioned Sanji when Luffy came down to sit with him and the other pirate. "Why did you fire on us?"

"It was an accident," explained Luffy, "It was a stray cannonball that was launched in self-defense."

"That makes no sense," Sanji said, cannonballs weren't launched in defense, they were just fired to attack and destroy. "Well you'd best watch yourself around here, Chef Zeff used to be a famous pirate."

"That old man was a pirate?" asked Luffy.

"The Baratie is the ratbag's treasure," Sanji told him, "And the cooks that flock to him are all hot-blooded pirate types. For a place frequented by pirates, they're perfect for the job."

"Yeah this place is a nuthouse," Luffy agreed.

"You get used to it," Sanji replied, "Some people come just to see the pirates and the cooks go at it. But the waiters got scared and jumped ship a few months ago. We still haven't been able to find anyone willing to take the job."

"Oh, so that's why he wants me to cook for a year," Luffy realized, "You should sail with me."

"I decline," Sanji answered, "I have a good reason for staying here."

"No, I decline!" Luffy snapped.

"What?" questioned Sanji, "You decline what?"

"I decline your declination!" Luffy exclaimed, "You're a good cook and you're joining my crew!"

"Hold on… listen to my reason," Sanji requested.

"What is it?" asked Luffy.

"None of your business!" Sanji growled.

"But you just told me to listen!" Luffy protested.

"Respect my wishes or I'll make a fillet out of you crap-hat kid!" threatened Sanji.

"You make fun of this hat and I'll send you flying!" Luffy warned him.

"Sorry to butt in," the pirate suddenly interrupted, causing Luffy and Sanji to turn and glare at him, "I'm Gin, one of Don Krieg's pirates. If you're really a pirate, what are you after?"

"I'm going to the Grand Line!" Luffy announced. "I wanna become King of the Pirates!"

Gin paused and stared at Luffy for a moment, "If you don't have a cook, you must not have much of a crew yet," observed Gin.

"This guy makes six," Luffy answered.

"Don't count me!" Sanji scolded him.

"You don't seem like a bad sort, so I'll give you a word of warning," Gin decided. "Whatever you do, don't go to the Grand Line. You're young, don't rush to your doom. The seas are vast and the Grand Line is just a narrow route. There are plenty of safer waters to plunder."

"Hnm… really?" questioned Luffy, "Do you know a lot about the Grand Line?"

"Not much," Gin admitted, "Hardly anything at all. But enough that it scares me."

"You're rather chicken for one of Krieg's men," Sanji remarked.

"Who's Krieg?" wondered Luffy.

**---x---**

In the kitchen the chefs were all talking about the events that had taken place, well some of them were. A lot of the chefs were just going about their business and were cooking.

"Hors D'oeuvres for table three!" a cook called out.

"Serve it yourself, we don't have any waiters!"

"Why are you making trouble for us Patty?" as a brown haired chef with a short beard and sunglasses. He wore the usual cooking attire but he was one of the top chefs on the Baratie, his name was Carne.

"What?" questioned Patty as he took a fish and cut off its head and tail.

"That feller you clobbered today was one of Krieg's cutthroats," Carne explained.

"That's what he said," Patty agreed but he wasn't worried.

"Don Krieg is the meanest pirate in all these waters."

"Aye, he's the Don of the Pirate Armada, a combination of fifty pirate crews. He's pure evil!" added another chef.

"So what?" Patty replied as he dumped the fish into a pan and put it over a flame.

"He commands five thousand killers and that feller was one of 'em!" exclaimed Carne, "If he tells Don Krieg how he was mistreated here, they'll run over us like stampeding elephants! They'll make mincemeat out of us!"

"Oh yeah?" questioned Patty, "You think I should have fed him? How would the paying customers feel? We're the trademark of the Baratie, Ferocious Fighting Cooks. Do you know how many pirates we've chased off? If you're scared, then quit!"

"That's just what you told the waiters, wasn't it? Its cause of you we're so overworked."

"Those fools were useless anyway!" Patty shot back.

"Hey idiots!" came Chef Zeff's voice, "Get to work!"

"Yes sir," Patty, Carne, and the other chefs agreed as they quickly went back to cooking.

**---x---**

"Well… just thought I'd warn you," Gin concluded, he was now in a small dingy and was getting ready to leave.

"I'm going to the Grand Line anyway," Luffy informed him. He didn't care if it was dangerous. In order to achieve his dream he'd have to go there, so he wasn't scared.

"Haha, do what you want," Gin chuckled, "How you throw your life away is your business." Gin then turned his attention to Sanji, "Sanji, thanks. You saved my life. That grub was great. Can I come and eat again?"

"Any time," Sanji replied.

"**Chore Boy, there you are!**" came the loud voice of Chef Zeff as he made his presence known out on the deck above them.

"Yikes, the Chef!" exclaimed Luffy.

"..." But Zeff didn't say anything, he just glanced at the empty plate of food laying on the ground.

"Good luck Gin," said Sanji as Gin pushed off in his boat.

"You're gonna get in trouble for giving me a free meal now," Gin commented.

"What free meal?" Sanji asked as he kicked the dish off of the edge of the boat and into the water, "Where's the proof?"

"..." Again, Zeff didn't say anything.

"Stay out of trouble Gin!" Luffy called out as Gin started sailing away.

"Sanji! Chore Boy! Get to work!" Chef Zeff suddenly yelled.

**---x---**

"Can I help you?" asked a cook once he saw the four Straw Hat Pirates walk in.

"Table for four," requested Ricky who was no longer wearing the marine uniform and was once again in his normal sleeveless black shirt and steel-soled boots but was still wearing his black sunglasses. The Straw Hats had washed the paint out of their hair and clothes over the passed few days so they looked as normal as they ever would.

"You four wouldn't happen to be pirates would you?" questioned the chef, as he looked them over, from what he could see they were just a bunch of teenagers. The Straw Hats had the foresight to leave their weapons on the ship so they didn't get in any trouble with the cooks. "We just had some trouble with a pirate."

"Well we are," replied Zoro as he glared at the chef, "But you have our Captain so we're not going anywhere."

"Oh, so you're the pirates that blasted us with that cannonball?" questioned the chef.

"That wasn't us, it was the Marines!" Usopp protested, "We simply deflected it."

"How much would it cost to pay for the repairs and let out Captain go?" inquired Ricky.

"A lot," answered the cook.

Ricky glanced at Nami, she was looking at him as if he were crazy for even suggesting such a thing. "Well, Luffy's gonna have to arrange something then. Get us a table," instructed Ricky, "unlike the other pirate you had in here. We'll actually _pay_."

"You've got money?" questioned the chef. Ricky pulled a sack of gold coins out from his bottom left pocket and held it up in front of the chef. The chef's expression quickly changed now that he wouldn't have to fight off another bunch of pirates. "Right this way!"

"I told you there was a point to stealing from that marine ship," Ricky whispered to Zoro.

**---x---**

"I'm Luffy," Luffy called out as he entered the kitchen, "But for now, I'm Chore Boy, reporting for duty."

But no one seemed to be listening, because the kitchen was incredibly busy and the chefs were all worrying about the orders. "Where's table six's dessert? Who took that order?" asked one chef.

"You did you fool! I'm too busy incase you can't see that!"

Luffy took a minute to sit down in an empty chair, but all of the chefs instantly rounded on him. "If you've got nothing to do, wash dishes Chore Boy!"

"Okee-dokee," replied Luffy with a smile as he went off to the sink.

"Where's Sanji?" Patty called out.

"Out flirting of course."

"Again?" Patty complained, "And he's the Assistant Head Chef? That makes me want to puke!"

"I know, but he's been here the longest. Ever wonder why Sanji stays even though he don't get on well with the Head Chef?"

**KRASH!! KRAK!! **Over at the sink Luffy was listening intently, but as a result he wasn't paying attention to the dishes he was supposed to be washing ended up breaking yet another one. "Chore Boy! How many dishes have you broken!?" demanded Patty.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to keep count," Luffy apologized.

"Be more careful," Patty warned him.

**KRASH!! **But Luffy being Luffy wasn't careful and ended up breaking a few more dishes. Another Chef shouted at him, "Enough dish-breaking! Go bus those tables!"

"Okay," Luffy agreed as he walked off toward the dining room, but he stopped to swipe some food and quickly ate it.

"Stop swiping food! That was for a customer!"

Luffy didn't pay attention and walked over to a hot wok, "I'll just clean this," Luffy decided as he picked up a rag and held the wok still so he could clean it. It took about five seconds for Luffy to finally realize that the wok was still on the fire. "YEEOWWW! HOT! HOT!" **KRASH!! **Luffy threw the wok and it smashed into some other plates making a big mess. **KRATA-KRASH!**

"GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!" screamed the chefs.

Patty came over and grabbed Luffy, "Go take orders, just ask the customers what they want to eat. Think you can handle that?"

"Yesh," answered Luffy who was having his face squished by Patty's hands. Patty let Luffy go and the chore boy headed off towards the Dining Room.

"And treat the customers like I told you to!" added Patty as Luffy left.

"Got it," replied Luffy, as he walked out into the Dining Room. "Chores are hard, Coby must have been miserable. I wonder how long Ricky did this for back at the Marine Base." But suddenly, speak of the devil, Luffy spotted a familiar pirate wearing sunglasses sitting at a table across the room. "HEY!" exclaimed Luffy as he rushed over to his crew, "You guys!"

"Hi Chore Boy!" Nami greeted him with a smile.

"We got hungry so we came on board," Ricky explained with a shrug, their table was loaded with fancy dishes, the Straw Hats – minus the Captain – were eating fancy today, all that the cost of Lieutenant Fullbody and the Marines, of course.

"So, I hear you gotta work for a year," commented Usopp.

"Can we change the ship's flag?" Zoro teased him as he looked over his shoulder at the Captain.

"YOU'RE EATING WITHOUT ME!?" Luffy complained, "I'M SLAVING AND YOU'RE EATING OUT! THAT'S MEAN!"

"Luffy quiet down!" Sanji scolded him as he poured wine for a woman at another table, "Is that your crew?"

"Eat this," Luffy grumbled as he picked his nose the put a booger in Zoro's water while the swordsman wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately for him, everyone else on the crew was.

Nami and Usopp started sniggering while they waited to see what would happen.

"Why shouldn't we enjoy a nice meal?" Zoro asked, "The food's not bad here." Zoro went to drink his water but under the table Ricky discreetly nudged Zoro's foot when he was about to take a sip of his contaminated water, when Zoro looked his way he shook his head slightly silently telling him not to drink it. Usopp and Nami were still struggling not to laugh, telling Zoro that Ricky probably knew something he didn't.

"But I feel bad for you…" Zoro resolved, he smirked then shot up out of his chair and poured his water into Luffy's mouth, booger and all. "YOU DRINK IT!"

**GLUG!! GLUG!!** "What'd you do that for!?" Luffy demanded as he fell to the ground and started choking on the water he had contaminated.

"What did you do _that_ for?" countered Zoro.

Nami and Usopp burst out laughing as they watched the captain flail around on the ground clutching his throat. Ricky settled for a small smile.

"HEHEHEHEHE!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What do you know," Ricky calmly commented while Nami and Usopp were still overcome by their fit of laughter, "Dinner and a show."

"AHAHAHA! My sides hurt," complained Usopp as he banged his fists on the table.

But the loud commotion had turned Sanji's attention to the table and the second he noticed Nami his one visible eye turned into a heart and he started swooning.

"Oh sea, how grateful I am for this day of days! Oh love, smile upon me for I can not survive this pain!" swooned Sanji as rushed over to Nami, hearts still in his eyes, Luffy and Zoro looked on in surprise while Ricky seemed to be pointedly ignoring the swooning waiter. "I would stoop to becoming a pirate, or even a demon, if only I could be with you. Such tragedy! The obstacles between us are great."

Ricky rolled his eye, not that anyone saw under his sunglasses, but Sanji was stopped from his attempts at wooing Nami by Chef Zeff. "Obstacles Sanji?" questioned Zeff. "That would be me, wouldn't it?"

"What do you want, you old geezer?" Sanji growled.

"Follow your heart, go be a pirate," Zeff told him, "I don't need you here anymore."

"What!?" Sanji snapped.

**---x---**

At the same time, Gin had arrived at where Don Krieg was stationed and explained to him about what had happened to him on board the Baratie.

"So this cook saved you from certain death?" Krieg commented, "That's how you made it back, eh Gin?"

"Aye sir," Gin replied, "But I didn't know the flagship was in such condition."

"Oh really?" questioned Krieg.

"Don Krieg, I'll guide you there," Gin vowed, "To the Baratie, the Oceangoing Restaurant."

Trouble was heading for the Baratie, hopefully the Straw Hats and the Cooks could handle it.

**---x---**

**An Uninvited Guest**

**---x---**

"Hey old man!" Sanji snarled as he glared at Chef Zeff, "I'm the Assistant Head Chef, what do you mean I'm not needed?"

Zeff glared back and Sanji and started listing off his reasons, "You fight with the customers, you waste hours flirting with women, you're a lousy cook, and you're nothing but dead weight. The other cooks don't like you much either. So go be a pirate and get out of my restaurant."

"Don't step over the line old man!" Sanji warned him as he stormed over to Zeff and held him by the collar, "You can insult me but don't _ever_ insult my cooking! I'm staying right here, you have no say in the matter!"

"DON'T LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Zeff yelled as he sent Sanji flying, **KRASH!!** Zoro, Nami, and Usopp managed to grab their food and keep it from falling on the floor but Sanji smashed through the table and ended up in Ricky's lap.

"Get off," Ricky complained as he shoved Sanji and the remains of the table off of him then got up to his feet.

But Sanji quickly sat back up and glared at Zeff, "YOU CAN'T KICK ME OUT! I'LL BECOME THE HEAD CHEF WHEN YOU DIE!" shouted Sanji.

"I won't die," Zeff argued as he turned away and started walking off, "I'll live for another hundred years."

"You always have to get the last word in don't you?" muttered Sanji.

"Yup," answered Zeff.

**---x---**

In the kitchen the cooks had overheard the shouting match between Sanji and Zeff and were discussing it, "You hear what Sanji just said?"

"Aye, he wants to be Head Chef."

**---x---**

Back in the Dining Room, Luffy was looking at this as if it were a good thing, "Great, you got permission!" Luffy exclaimed. "Come be my cook!"

"NEVER!" Sanji refused.

"Well there's your answer," said Ricky. "Now leave him alone."

"Yeah!" agreed Sanji but then he turned and glared at Ricky. "Wait… are you saying I'm not good enough to join your stupid pirate crew?"

"What would make you think that?" Ricky asked calmly.

But suddenly Luffy interrupted, "No Ricky, he's going to be our cook! Just like we got Nami as our Navigator, we'll get him too."

"Why him?" questioned Ricky.

"Because he's the best one," Luffy answered.

"Hmph, if you say so," Ricky conceded with an indifferent shrug.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" demanded Sanji.

"Whatever you want it to," Ricky calmly replied as Sanji stood right in front of him and sized him up. The pirate was a good two and a half inches taller than him but Sanji was pretty sure he could take him if a fight broke out.

"Watch what you say around me, bastard," Sanji warned him.

**---x---**

Later, the Straw Hats' table had been replaced and they were back to eating and Sanji was once again back to flirting with Nami while Ricky seemed like he didn't care.

"Forgive the commotion," apologized Sanji as he placed a cup of fruit down in front of Nami, "A Fruit Macedonia, my compliments." Sanji then pulled out a bottle of wine and poured it in Nami's empty glass, "And a Grand Marnier as a digestive, my Princess."

"Oh, thank you," said Nami, "You're so sweet."

"It's no problem at all," Sanji assured her.

"Hey!" exclaimed Usopp, "Don't we get any? That's discrimination! I'll sue!"

"I gave you tea didn't I?" Sanji asked as he turned to Usopp who got up to his feet, "You should be grateful, you mangy octopus!"

"You wanna fight?" questioned Usopp, "I'm not gonna take that from you!" Usopp quickly turned to Zoro and tapped him on the shoulder, "Get 'im Zoro!"

"Get 'im yourself," replied the swordsman as he occupied himself in drinking his tea.

"Um…hey Ricky, why don't you take him, I just remembered that I pulled something the other day," Usopp lied. "I can't fight him or it'll get worse."

"I'd rather not waste my time," said Ricky.

"What did you say!?" Sanji demanded.

"Nothing," Ricky answered with a half-hearted shrug. "Hey Usopp, they didn't clear your plate. What kind of service is that?"

"Yeah! You didn't even clear my plate!" Usopp pointed out as he gestured to some left over mushrooms. "What kind of waiter are you?"

"I'm not a waiter, I'm the Assistant Head Chef," Sanji informed him. "And there are mushrooms on it, eat them!"

"I don't like mushrooms," said Usopp. "One time I ate a poisonous mushroom that made mushrooms sprout out all over my body!" (A/N: Luffy in Manga Chapter 514)

"Well, those aren't poisonous!" Sanji growled while fighting not to kick the crap out of another customer. "So eat every bite, Long Nose!"

"That Marine Lieutenant didn't look so good when he left," Ricky commented to Usopp as he continued to ignore the blond cook. "If that's how they treat their customers, I wouldn't put it passed him to slip something into our food and try to poison us all."

"You might be right," agreed Usopp.

"I'd never waste food on something as stupid as poisoning you two," growled Sanji. Now he was concentrating on restraining himself from kicking the crap out of another TWO customers.

"Boys," Nami interrupted with a sweet smile, "Please don't fight over me."

"As you wish," said Sanji.

"I wasn't." stated Ricky.

Usopp on the other hand shouted, "Who's fighting over you!?"

"Oh Chef, dear," added Nami as she called Sanji's attention over to her, "This is a tad pricey…"

"For you it's free!" swooned Sanji.

"Yay! My Hero!" exclaimed Nami as she threw her arms around Sanji and hugged him.

"You bums still have to pay!" growled Sanji as he turned and glared at Ricky and Usopp before staggering off with a happy smile on his face.

"Mmm, good tea," commented Luffy who was watching Sanji wander off with interest.

"Did you bewitch him?" Zoro wondered as he glanced from the still dazed Assistant Head Chef to the orange haired navigator.

"You four had better watch out," threatened Nami with a playful smile and a wink.

"Too late for that," mumbled Zoro as he cast a glance in Ricky's direction.

"Are you trying to say something?" Ricky asked.

"I'm just pointing out that you seemed overly hostile while he was flirting with Nami," reasoned Zoro, causing Nami to stare at Ricky but his sunglasses hid any emotion that he might've been showing, "well, hostile for you at least."

Ricky shook his head, "I'd react that way if he was flirting with _anyone_ at this table. You included."

Zoro's eyes went wide and he pushed his plate away, "Well… I've just lost my appetite." (A/N: Sorry Zoro/Sanji fans.)

"I haven't," said Ricky as he quickly reached across the table and snatched Zoro's plate before Luffy had a chance to grab it.

**THWACK!! **Sanji came back and kicked Luffy on top of the head, slamming his face down into the tea he was drinking, "Enough goofing off Chore Boy!" Sanji scolded him, as he grabbed Luffy then, literally, dragged him off, "Go offer hot towels to the customers."

"Okay…" Luffy replied.

**---x---**

Two days later, the Straw Hat Pirates were still harbored near the Baratie, and Luffy was still working as the Chore Boy. Ricky was lying on his back up in the crow's nest of the Going Merry watching the clouds.

Out of nowhere, a ship appeared on the horizon flying the flag of 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg. The skull and crossbones depicted a uniquely drawn skull and next to it were a pair of hourglasses that connected two corners of the bones on each side.

"That's Don Krieg's pirate ship," Ricky observed, he leapt out of the out of the crow's nest and landed gracefully on the deck, **TMP!** Ricky's sudden landing woke Zoro from his nap.

"Uughh?" Zoro groaned in confusion, not quite awake.

"That's done Krieg's galleon," Ricky pointed out. Zoro woke up and stared in the direction Ricky was looking. "Those hourglasses besides the skull mean that time's up for their enemies. There's no mistaking it."

"The question is… what do they want?" wondered Zoro as he got up and stared at the approaching vessel.

**---x---**

On the Baratie and in the kitchen people also noticed the approaching ship. As a result Patty was catching hell from one of the other cooks, "See Patty," snapped a cook, "They're here! Now you have to deal with them!"

"It c-c-can't be!" Patty exclaimed, he finally seemed scared, "'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg and his five thousand men! Here? Why would they come just to avenge one flunky?"

"Well they're here!" pointed out another cook, "That's definitely his ship!"

**---x---**

On the Going Merry people were freaking out as well, at least Usopp and the team of Bounty Hunters were. "THIS IS HORRIBLE! WE'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted Usopp.

"Brother!" Johnny called out to Zoro, "Set sail, we don't wanna die!"

"We're not going anywhere," Ricky told them as the ship went passed them and approached the Baratie. "Luffy is still on board the Baratie and if something bad happens we need to be here to back him up. Besides, this could actually be a great opportunity."

"What are you talking about?" asked Nami.

Ricky had a sly grin on his face as he turned to face Nami, "There's treasure to be had, I can feel it."

**---x---**

"That ship is huge!" commented Luffy as he and Sanji looked out the window at the approaching vessel, it was MASSIVE and towered over the Baratie. "Maybe Gin has come back to say thanks."

"I doubt it," replied Sanji, "But something seems odd." It took a few minutes for the ship to get close enough to actually be seen, but when it did the sheer side of the monstrosity was evident. The ship was over three times as high as the Baratie, but despite that, what was scary was the fact that it looked like it had gotten in a fight with a hurricane… and lost.

"That ship is a wreck!" Luffy blurted out.

"A great galleon ravaged to that degree wasn't the work of men," reasoned Sanji, "It looks like they sailed through a typhoon!"

The ship got closer to the Baratie, but then dropped anchor, two minutes later, the door to the oceangoing restaurant banged open and a figure appeared, startling the customers, and a great deal of the cooks.

Upon closer inspection the figure was actually two people. One person was familiar, Gin was back. The other was a giant man who looked like he was on the brink of death, believe it or not, that was Don Krieg, Admiral of the Pirate Armada. He was pale had grayish-blue hair that went down the sides of his face in a pair of thick bushy sideburns and was wearing a cloak topped with fur, he wore a yellow shirt with a purple collar and gray pants underneath the cloak, and there was something gold underneath the yellow shirt. Finishing the look was a length of fabric that was wrapped around his forehead.

"Please, may I have some food or water?" requested Krieg in a weak voice, "I've got money, lots of money…"

"What?" questioned a startled chef.

"He looks pretty shabby for a King," Patty remarked.

"He looks hungry," Luffy pointed out to Sanji.

"What's going on?" Sanji wondered.

**FWOMP!! **Suddenly Krieg's strength grave out and he collapsed to the ground, "Don Krieg!" Gin exclaimed as he went to help his commander, "Food! Water! Please! The Don is on the verge of death! If you don't help him, he's doomed!

Gin's words didn't seem to have the desired effect, because suddenly Patty started laughing out loud, "Haaahahaha! That's rich!" laughed Patty, "Whatta laugh! Dis bum is the dreaded Don Krieg?"

"This time I've got money!" shouted Gin. "We're customers!"

"Alert the Marines," Patty ordered the other cooks. "They won't wanna miss an opportunity to catch this fiend! Don't feed 'em a crumb! Just grab 'em!"

"If regains strength there's no telling what he'll do to us!" a random customer exclaimed, "He's a pirate and a killer! Starving is too good for him! He deserves to die so let him!"

"If Krieg regains his strength he'll pillage this restaurant," a cook said to the others, "Don't even give him a cup of water!"

"I won't harm anyone!" Krieg promised as he slowly pushed himself up off of the ground, "feed me and I'll leave quietly. I beg you… help me!!"

"Don Krieg don't grovel it isn't you!" exclaimed Gin as he looked down at the Don in shock, "It's beneath you!"

But Krieg didn't listen, "Please I beg you!" Krieg pleaded, while on his hands and knees, "Left over rice, anything!"

The customers looked on in shock, while Gin looked disgusted at what Krieg was reducing himself to. "Don Kreig…" he mumbled.

"Hmph, trying for sympathy, eh?" questioned Patty, he wasn't going to give an inch, but somebody was, and that somebody was right behind him.

"**Outta the way, Patty!**" ordered Sanji. **SHWAK!!** Sanji whipped his leg around and kicked Patty square in the head, knocking him down to the ground. Then Sanji turned to Gin and Krieg and placed a plate down in front of them, "Here Gin, he can eat this."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Krieg, he lunged at the plate and began wolfing down the food.

"Sanji take that food away from him!" Carne exclaimed, "Don't you know who he is? He's 'Foul Play' Krieg! Tyrant of the East Blue! He started out in prison then he lied his way onto a Marine Ship. He killed the officers then took over. That's how he got his start as a pirate. Flying a Marine flag, he sails into port and attacks both towns and ships. Sometimes he flies a white flag… then opens fire! He'll stop at nothing to win. His duplicity is legendary! At full strength he'll be unstoppable. He says he'll go if we feed him, but we can't trust him! That two-faced scoundrel should starve! The world would be a better place!"

All through the Carne's speech Krieg continued eating, his strength was slowly returning, **FWAK!! **Suddenly he lunged up off of the ground and took Sanji by surprise and nearly took his head off with a vicious clothesline. **SKRSSHH!!** The cooks, Luffy, and even Gin, stared in shock as Sanji went skidding across the floor. His cigarette went flying out of his mouth and fell on the floor beside him.

"You said you wouldn't Krieg!" Gin protested. "You swore you wouldn't hurt nobody if I led you here! That man saved both of our lives!"

**WHAP! **As an answer Krieg suddenly reached out and grabbed Gin right around his shoulder muscle and lifted him up off of the floor, Gin yelled out in pain as Kreig squeezed hi shoulder. "Gin!" shouted Luffy when he saw the look of pain on Gin's face.

"So that's how it is, eh?" questioned Sanji from the ground as he looked up at Krieg, a trickle of blood was coming out from the corner of his mouth.

"Nice restaurant," commented Kreig, "I'LL TAKE IT!"

**---x---**

Well there you go. Next chapter Ricky is going on another treasure raid and the cooks on the Baratie have to consider the Don's Offer.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	25. Chapter 24

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** There's an important author's not at the end of this chapter that everyone reading this should read and take note of once they've finished the chapter.

**The Don's Offer**

**---x---**

"Wait, don't tell me you're going on board that thing?" Nami asked Ricky as he slipped his shirt over his head. Right now she was too worried to care about seeing the First Mate shirtless.

"I thought you of all people would appreciate some good treasure," Ricky commented as he stood there in his pants, boots, and eye patch.

"What does not wearing a shirt have to do with hunting treasure?" questioned Usopp.

"When a male anime character takes off his shirt it makes him immensely more powerful," Ricky explained. "It's not exactly a law, but it holds true here too." (A/N: Watch Lanipator's Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged on YouTube.)

"Oh," said Usopp, "Wait... WHAT!?"

"I've got treasure to steal," Ricky announced. "And judging from the state of the ship, the crew won't be in any shape to stop me."

"Ricky, be rational," Nami attempted to reason with him, "We can't just climb on board Don Krieg's flagship and steal all of his treasure! That thing's probably crawling with pirates!"

"Pirates that look like they just went through a hurricane," Ricky countered, he removed _Akaikyuuketsuki _and its sheath from his waist and put it down on his shirt. "Zoro," said Ricky as he turned to the swordsman, "Do me a favor and put that stuff inside for me. My sword doesn't like the water."

"You're really serious about this aren't you?" asked Zoro as he picked up Ricky's shirt and sword.

"That's Don Krieg's flagship," Ricky reminded him. "His bounty's worth seventeen million berries and he's known as the King of the East Blue. He's bound to have something valuable on there. I can't pass up an opportunity like this."

"I guess I can't stop you," Zoro realized. "Just be careful and try to come back alive."

"I'll be fine," Ricky assured him, "but in some chance that I don't make it… you can be First Mate." Zoro smirked then carried the stuff off into the ship.

"Hold on, that's not fair!" Usopp protested. "How come he gets to be First Mate?"

"Do you want to fight him for the title?" asked Ricky.

"On second thought… he can have it," Usopp decided. "I didn't really want to be Captain anyway. I'm happy being the ship's sniper."

"Good," replied Ricky. "Then as the First Mate and resident treasure hunter, I'm gonna have to ask you to buzz off."

Usopp shook his head at Ricky and walked off, if Ricky wanted to get himself killed, he was welcome to. But climbing onto an enemy ship while the enemy was still on it was just insane!

Nami was having similar thoughts, "Ricky, I rob pirates, but even I have to draw the line somewhere."

"Weren't you the one that wanted to go to the Grand Line and steal one hundred million berries from the pirates there?" Ricky inquired. "If you can't handle Don Krieg's ship, you'll never be able to handle the stuff in the Grand Line. Clearly he couldn't."

Nami stiffened but remembered that she told him that and silently cursed the fact that he was the one person on the crew that appeared to have long-term memory. "Going on that ship is suicide," Nami told him. "I'm not going to risk that, I can't afford to throw my life away."

It was quiet for a moment.

"You're leaving soon aren't you?" Ricky suddenly asked, startling Nami.

"No I… how did you know that?"

"Because you collected a lot of treasure," answered Ricky, "Half of Buggy the Clown's treasure, all of the Black Cat Pirate's treasure, a little under half of the treasure I found on that island, and anything else you found before that."

"Speaking of that, where are you keeping your treasure?" inquired Nami.

"There's a barrel in the far corner of the storage room. Inside of it are two hollowed out cannonballs and what's left of the treasure I stole from Fullbody, it's a little over a million berries."

Nami stared at him in surprise, "Why'd you tell me?"

"You need it more than I do," Ricky pointed out with a casual shrug. "Buying a village is more important than anything I could ever do with it. I just hope its enough. You wouldn't risk throwing away a good thing like this if you weren't close."

Nami stared at him, he was _giving_ her his treasure. He was trying to _help_ her. Never in her eight year history as a thief had she met a pirate that had done that.

"Aren't you going to try and stop me?" Nami asked.

"That depends," replied Ricky. "Will you be here when I get back?"

"I need to take the ship while everyone else is gone," Nami admitted. "This Krieg-guy could serve as a good distraction."

"Too bad," said Ricky, "I would've given you anything I got from Krieg's ship."

"Why are you so strange!?" Nami blurted out, causing Ricky to raise his visible eyebrow. "You're not like any pirate I've met before. You and the others… you _help_ people. You don't terrorize people like a pirate's supposed to!"

"That's because you haven't met any decent pirates before," Ricky countered. "But I can't blame you when a pirate's holding your village hostage."

Nami's eyes went wide, "How…?"

"It's obvious," said Ricky. "I just hope he lives up to his end of the deal. If he doesn't, we'll deal with it when Luffy finishes his inevitable fight with Don Krieg."

"Don't be stupid," Nami scolded him, "he'd kill you before you even set foot on the island! You wouldn't stand a chance!"

Ricky just shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Don't even think about it!" Nami warned him as she poked him in the chest with her finger. "Promise me you guys won't try to fight him. Promise me you won't get yourselves killed."

"I can't do that," Ricky refused. "I don't go back on my word. But I will promise you this, we're Nakama and we'll help you if need us." With that he lunged backwards and flew over the railing and off the boat. He plummeted into the water below the ship, **SPLASH! **

Nami stared after him as he swam off in the direction of Don Krieg's ship. This was bad, he knew too much and knowing him that wasn't all he knew. Nami needed to get out of here before he had a chance to follow her.

**---x---**

Inside the Baratie the cooks, customers, Sanji, and Luffy were all getting over the shock of the fact that Krieg wanted the oceangoing restaurant.

"Outrageous!" Carne exclaimed. "Krieg wants the Baratie?"

Meanwhile all the customers were running out the back door in an attempt to escape. They boarded a boat and sailed off as fast as they could, they didn't want to get caught up in this.

But through all the screaming and the commotion, Patty had finally reawaken, "Huh? What's all da ruckus?" questioned Patty as he glanced around him.

"Don Krieg, you swore!" Gin said from the ground.

"Gin are you okay?" asked Luffy.

Patty suddenly looked up as saw Don Krieg standing in front of him, "What's going on?" he wondered.

"My ship's a wreck," Krieg explained, "I need a new one. So when I'm finished with you, I'll dump you. I have one hundred men left on my ship that still draw breath, they're dying from wounds, hunger, and thirst. I need one hundred rations of food and water, you will prepare them. Some have already starved to death, so there's no time to waste."

"You expect us to feed one hundred pirates so they'll regain strength and take over our ship?" questioned a cook, "We refuse!"

"Refuse?" repeated Krieg, "You don't understand. It wasn't a request. IT'S AN ORDER! DO NOT DEFY ME!"

"Sorry Sanji," Gin apologized, "I didn't know…"

"You!" Patty snapped as he turned to face Sanji who started walking passed him, "you got us into this mess! Where are you going Sanji?"

"To the kitchen of course," Sanji replied. "We have one hundred meals to prepare."

"WHAT?" exclaimed all of the cooks.

"Heh, that's right," Krieg chucked.

"Sanji…" Gin and Luffy whispered.

Suddenly the cooks all drew pistols and pointed them at Sanji, "Are you Krieg's bitch Sanji?" Carne demanded. "We can't let you into the kitchen! We're not going along with this. It's an outrage!"

"If you want to stop me, then fire," Sanji offered, as he held his arms up. "I know they're unredeemable villains, but it's my job to feed people, not to judge them. It's not that complicated. If a man is hungry, I feed him. That's a cook's job! So what's the problem?"

**WONK!!** Patty came from behind and slammed his large forearms into the back of Sanji's head, knocking him to the ground, "Hold him down!" Patty ordered the cooks before turning to Sanji. "Sanji, I know you feed the people I chase off, maybe you're right to do that sometimes. But this time you're wrong. Now you keep still, I'm going to defend this restaurant. He may be Don Krieg but he's just one man. He can't beat all of us!! This is the Baratie! We deal with rowdy pirates everyday! And we know what kind of customer service to give 'em." Patty reached to the side and pulled the cover off of the bulky object he had beside him, it was a handheld cannon. "YOU'VE EATEN! HERE'S YOUR DESSERT! THE MEATBALL OF DOOM!!" **BOOM!! **Patty fired the cannon and blasted it at Krieg.

But as the cannonball whizzed at him, Krieg didn't move, he wasn't intimidated, "Impudence," Krieg growled as he allowed the cannonball to hit him, **KA-BOOOM!! **A large explosion rang out and a large cloud of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared there was no sign of Don Krieg, the doors had been blown off of their hinges.

"Damn, I busted the doors," Patty complained. "The Chef'll have my hide!"

"That's nothing," Carne consoled him. "It's a small price to pay to save the Baratie."

"What about the men on Krieg's ship?" questioned Sanji, who had since freed himself from the cooks that were holding him down.

"I say we smear butter on it and set it on fire!" Patty suggested.

"**Sounds delicious, Chef**," came a voice as Don Krieg walked back through the door and back into the restaurant. The clothes Krieg had been wearing had been burned to bits and torn off, revealing the gold plated steel armor he had on underneath. The blast hadn't affected him at all. "That dessert was a little heavy for my taste," Krieg remarked, "hardly a four-star meal."

"His body! It's all shiny!" exclaimed Luffy when he noticed Krieg's armor.

"Steel body armor! What a dirty trick!" snapped Patty as he started charging at Krieg, "RUSH HIM!" The other cooks rushed at the Don along with Patty.

But suddenly golden circular panels on Kreig's armor popped up to reveal gun barrels, they were on his sides, on his shoulders, and on top of his gloves, "INSOLENT FOOLS!!" Krieg shouted as he opened fire and blasted the chef. **BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!! **

"Bullets!" exclaimed Luffy as he and Sanji watched the cooks crash to the ground after getting pelted with bullets.

"No one defies Don Krieg, you worthless scum!" Krieg growled. "I am by far the strongest man in the world! I have arms of steel, stronger than any flesh! A carapace of the strongest wootz steel! Diamond fists to demolish anything! And a built in array of weapons! I command fifty ships and five thousand men! I've never lost a battle! I am the Don of the Pirate Armada! IF I TELL YOU TO PREPARE FOOD, YOU'LL SHUT UP AND DO IT! NO ONE DEFIES ME!!"

**---x---**

Over on Don Krieg's ship Ricky had reached the treasure hold but stopped and stood in the doorway and stared at the 'guard'.

The starved pirate staggered up off of the floor and shakily stood in front of Ricky, "You're not on this crew… right?"

"Since you're hardly a threat, I'll tell you," replied Ricky. "I'm 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire and I'm here to steal your Captain's treasure."

"Uggg…" grunted one pirate as he held his stomach in agony. "Captain Don Krieg… is the Strongest Pirate in the World! He's got a fleet… of fifty ships and five thousand men! He's gonna be… King of the Pirates."

"You make an interesting point," commented Ricky as he stood in front of the pirate. "I'm sure Krieg is plenty strong… but on the other hand…" **POW!!** Ricky shot out his hand and punched the already weak pirate right in the nose, he crumbled to the ground and went out like a light.

"You have no idea what the rest of the world is like," Ricky lectured the unconscious pirate. "Don Krieg may be strong here in the East Blue but there are pirates ten-times as strong as he is in the Grand Line. You guys clearly found that out first hand." Ricky looked up and noticed the treasure in the room and his eye went wide, "Jackpot."

**---x---**

"Outta the way, kid," came the voice of Head Chef Zeff. He came out from the kitchen carrying a giant sack and placed it down in front of Krieg.

"Chef Zeff!" exclaimed one of the cooks.

"There's food for one hundred," Zeff informed Krieg. "Take it to your men."

"_Zeff?"_ Krieg repeated in his mind, _"Did he say Zeff?"_

"Chef what are you thinking?" asked Carne. "If you feed those pirates, they'll come and overrun us!"

"Unless they're all spineless dogs," Zeff commented, causing everyone to turn and looked at him in shock as he turned to Krieg. "You went to the Grand Line and ran scared, eh?"

"Whoa!" exclaimed a cook, "He called Krieg a coward!"

"The tyrant of the Eastern Seas, who commands fifty pirate ships, couldn't handle the Grand Line," Zeff remarked.

"The Grand Line?" repeated Luffy, that's where he was heading.

But suddenly, Krieg had a realization, "YOU'RE 'RED SHOES' ZEFF!"

**---x---**

Off in a distance, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp were watching the Baratie from a safe distance away. "Looks like things are getting started," Zoro observed.

"Yeah," added Usopp, "Someone just got blown through the door!"

"You two had better check it out," Nami suggested. "Like Ricky said before, Luffy might need some help."

"Y-you want us to g-go over th-there?" Usopp stammered in obvious fear.

Nami was saved from answering by Zoro's response, "Good idea. Usopp, you come with me. Nami, stay here with Johnny and Yosaku and guard the ship. Let Ricky know where we are if he comes back."

Nami nodded with a blank look on her face, "Good luck guys," Nami said as Zoro and Usopp prepared to leave, "Goodbye."

**---x---**

On Krieg's ship Ricky was still in the treasure hold and had loaded almost all of the treasure in a sack that was half his size but twice as bulky. The only thing left was a thick-looking safe.

"_Whatever's in there is worth five times the rest of this,"_ Ricky thought to himself as he stared at the safe, "_Krieg went to great lengths to keep it safe, this thing looks like it's really thick. But they haven't made the safe yet that can keep me out."_ Ricky quickly got to work.

**---x---**

**Steer Clear**

**---x---**

"'Red Shoes' Zeff," commented Don Krieg as he glanced at the Head Chef, "So you're alive. You were quite the unique pirate, the Captain-Cook."

"So what if I'm alive?" questioned Zeff. "What's it to you? I'm now exclusively a Chef."

"Heh! You say that like it was a choice," Krieg laughed. "But did you CHOOSE to be a cook? Or was being a pirate too tough for you? It looks like your Red Shoes days are behind you." Everyone took a moment to glance at Chef Zeff's peg-leg, "'Red Shoes' Zeff, the master of the deadly kick. He never used his hands in battle. His awesome leg strength could smash stone and leave footprints in steel. The blood of your enemies died your shoes, thus your unusual nickname. They say you died at sea… but it appears that you didn't lose your life. But you did lose one of your precious legs."

"I can't fight any more," Zeff agreed. "But I can cook as long as I have these two hands. Now what do you want? Spit it out."

"'Red Shoes' Zeff, you once sailed the Devil's Nest, the Grand Line for an entire year," Krieg reminded him. "But you returned unscathed. You kept a record of that voyage for that year. Give me your logbook!"

"You've been to the Grand Line too, old man?" Luffy questioned, it was starting to look like everyone had been there, Ricky, then Gin and Don Krieg, and now Zeff.

"Aye," Zeff answered Luffy, before turning back to face Krieg. "My logbook, yeah I still have it. But I won't give it to you. For me and the men that sailed with me that book was a testament. I won't give it to the likes of you!"

"Then I'll take it from you!" Krieg decided. "It's true that I did not succeed on the Grand Line, but I am Don Krieg, mightiest of all! Weaklings do well to shun the dark route, but I had plenty of strength, ships, men, and ambition! The only thing I lacked was _knowledge_. That's what stopped me, I didn't know enough. I'll have that log… and this ship too!"

"You can't have it," Patty refused. "This ship's all we've got in the world."

"Yeah, we've been cast out from everywhere else," Carne added. "Chef Zeff is our savior, he took us in when nobody else would! We won't let you take our ship."

"PUNY FOOLS!" Krieg shouted, "NO ONE CAN DEFY ME! YOU'VE SEEN THAT I'M THE STRONGEST OF ALL! I'LL TAKE ZEFF'S LOG, ASSEMBLE ANOTHER ARMADA, CAPTURE ONE PIECE, AND RULE OVER THE ENTIRE OCEAN!"

At that, Luffy clenched his fist, "HOLD IT!" Luffy interrupted, "_I'M_ GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! AND _MY CREW_ IS GOING TO FIND ONE PIECE!"

"Chore Boy!" exclaimed Patty. "Stay out of this, kid! He'll murder ya!"

"I can't, not out of this!" said Luffy.

"Did you say something, boy?" questioned Krieg. "Are you sure you don't want to take that back?"

"Nope," Luffy replied, "I'm only stating the facts."

"This isn't a game!" Krieg snarled.

"Obviously," Luffy quipped back.

"**Weren't you listening**," came a voice, "The Grand Line was too much for Krieg! Can't we just call it off? Going there is suicide!"

"**Quiet, stay out of this**," someone next to the first person scolded.

Luffy turned around to see Zoro and Usopp sitting together at a nearby table. "Time to fight Luffy?" Zoro inquired, "I'll lend a hand."

"Zoro, Usopp, you guys are here?" questioned Luffy.

"Nami and Ricky sent us," Usopp admitted.

"Of course leaving those two alone on the ship once Ricky gets back might be a bad idea," Zoro commented.

"Well don't worry, I can handle this," Luffy assured them.

Krieg turned to look at Zoro and Usopp then started laughing, "Hahaha, _that's_ your crew?" laughed Krieg. "A little thin isn't it?"

"Wrong, I've there are three more," Luffy told him.

"DON'T COUNT ME!!" yelled Sanji.

"DON'T BE SO COCKY KID!" Krieg yelled. "I HAD A FLEET OF FIVE THOUSAND MEN! IN SEVEN DAYS WE WERE SMASHED TO BITS BY THAT DEMON SEA!" Beside him Gin flinched in terror.

"Seven days?" Patty repeated, "Krieg's Armada was destroyed in seven days! What could have done that?"

"Did you hear that?" asked Usopp who was so scared he was practically crying, "Fifty ships in one week!"

"That's pathetic," Zoro remarked. "Ricky was there for two years."

"Reckless impudence!" Krieg growled, "You're not funny, watch your mouth or I'll kill you right now!"

Krieg turned away from Zoro and glared at the cooks as he hoisted the large sack of meals onto his shoulder, "Now listen carefully," Krieg ordered, "I'll give you one chance. I'm taking this food to the men on my ship then I'm coming back. Anyone who doesn't want to die had better be gone when I return. All I want is the log and the ship. But if you're eager to die, wait for me. I'll kill you then bury you at sea! It's your choice." With that Krieg turned and left, taking the sack of food along with him.

**---x---**

"Brother Zoro and Brother Usopp went in there," Johnny pointed out to Yosaku, while still on board the Going Merry. They suspiciously eyed the Baratie wondering what was happening inside.

"Yeah, and now everything's gotten really quiet," Yosaku observed.

"Sister Nami, should we go in there too?" Johnny asked. The Bounty Hunter duo turned their attention to the orange-haired navigator, who was leaning on the side of the boat staring at a piece of paper.

"Huh?" Nami said as she turned to face them.

"Are you alright?" Yosaku inquired.

"Oh, of course," Nami replied with a fake smile as she slipped the paper behind her back… it was a wanted poster.

**---x---**

"Forgive me Sanji," Gin apologized. "I didn't think he would do this. I…"

"It's not your fault," Zeff said. "The cooks helped bring this on us as well."

"Chef, are you siding with Sanji?" questioned Patty, "Are you crazy? He's the guy who started all this trouble. Sanji wants to destroy your precious restaurant." Patty then turned and glared at Sanji, "Don't you Sanji, you'll do anything to become Head Chef! Either that, or your insane, which is it?"

"SHUT UP, YOU MORON!" Zeff scolded him, Patty was instantly quiet. "Have any of you ever actually been truly hungry before? Have you gone for days without food or water on the high seas? Do you have any idea what agony that is?"

"What are you saying Chef?" Patty asked.

"This difference between all of you and Sanji, is that Sanji knows," Zeff said, the blond cook in question was sitting off to the side once again smoking a cigarette. "If you're going to keep moaning, then just walk out the back door and never come back."

In response the cooks only picked up their weapons again. "I'll stay and fight," Patty announced, "I can't stand to let Krieg have his way."

"Me neither! This restaurant is my home," Carne agreed. "Besides, we've got nowhere else to go!"

"What?" questioned Gin, "Are you fools? You've seen what Krieg can do! You'd better run!"

"Gin," Sanji said, "Listen to me. As a Cook, I see it as my duty to feed the hungry. BUT! Now that your crew is well fed, I have no obligation to them. It's with a clean conscience that I can beat every one of them to a bloody pulp. If anyone tries to take the restaurant, they're dead. I'll kill them without a moment's hesitation. Got that?"

"First you feed them, then you kill them?" Patty growled. "Good idea Sanji!"

"Be quiet crap-cooker," snapped Sanji.

"See, he's tough isn't he?" Luffy said to Usopp and Zoro.

"Who cares!" Usopp replied as he prepared to run away. "We gotta get out of here!"

"Relax, they're wounded and starving," Zoro reasoned.

"Besides, I've got to fight Krieg," Luffy resolved. "He's a powerful rival and I'll have to take him down some time." Luffy then turned and glanced across the Dining Room at Gin, "By the way Gin, you said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line. But you've been there!"

"I know nothing at all," Gin confessed, "What happened to us on our seventh day on our journey in that cursed sea… I don't know if it's some crazy dream or reality. I saw things that I can't bring myself to believe. It's almost impossible to believe… for that entire fleet of fifty ships to be eradicated by just one man!"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Usopp screamed in terror.

"Whoa!" Luffy gasped.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Patty. "KREIG'S ARMADA WAS DESTROYED BY ONE MAN!?"

"It all happened so fast…" Gin recalled. "As soon as this man appeared he began to systematically sink our ships one after another. If that storm hadn't come when it had, then that monster would've destroyed our flagship as well! I don't know if a single other ship that made it out. It all seems like a terrible nightmare burned into my memory. I just want to forget. Those eyes… they were like a hawk's… sharp and murderous… his gaze alone felt like the cold hand of death…"

At that revelation Zoro's eyes shot opened, "WHAT!?"

**---x---**

As those of you that have already read the series know, that one man was the World's Greatest Swordsman Hawk Eye Mihawk. Next chapter he follows Don Krieg from the Grand Line looking to finish the job he started. The chapter after that, Zoro faces him looking to make his dream come true sooner rather than later.

As some of you may know, after Zoro's duel with Mihawk the Straw Hat Pirates split up. Luffy is left at the Baratie to fend off Don Krieg and try to recruit Sanji while the others go off after Nami and encounter the villain of the next arc.

Here's the question: Since Ricky leaves along with Zoro, Usopp, and the others, should I skip the fights following the Zoro/Mihawk fight? Here's my reasoning, this story is basically about the CHANGES to One Piece that would happen with the inclusion of Ricky from the beginning. If Ricky sails off and leaves before the end of the arc it WON'T change anything.

However, I know that some of my somewhat regular reviewers are big Sanji fans, so I leave the choice up to you the readers. **Should I skip over the fights between Luffy and Sanji and Don Krieg's Crew? Or should I rewrite them even if there will be no changes to them?**

I've posted a poll on my profile page. I'll post my decision after the Zoro/Mihawk fight. I'll either skip to the last chapter of the arc and summarize the fights or I'll continue with the rest of the arc. It's up to you to decide.

Until then, the Straw Hats, the Baratie Cooks, and the Krieg Pirates will have hands full next chapter with the oncoming storm.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	26. Chapter 25

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Storm**

**---x---**

"KRIEG'S ARMADA WAS DESTROYED BY ONE MAN!?" screamed a bunch of frantic cooks. Who the hell could've destroyed forty-nine ships ALONE!?

Gin didn't answer, he was crouched on the ground holding his head trying to remove the painful memories from his mind.

"Well then, it had to be him," commented Zeff. "It could only have been the one known as Hawk Eye."

"Who?" questioned Patty.

"Hawk Eye?" repeated Gin.

"You said his eyes were like a hawk's, that's proof enough," explained Zeff. "And what he did to your ships… it had to be him."

Zoro started shaking all over through Zeff's explanation. "Hawk Eye Mihawk…"

"You've heard of him Zoro?" asked Luffy.

"Yeah, Ricky's even seen him," answered Zoro. "He's the man I've been looking for. He's the whole reason I set out to sea. He's the World's Greatest Swordsman."

"What?" questioned Luffy.

"Johnny said he comes here," commented Zoro.

"Don't know about Hawk Eye," said one of the cooks. "But Red Eye was here about a month ago when he died."

"Who?" asked Usopp. "Another monster?"

"Aye," answered Carne. "He was a dangerous pirate from the Grand Line. That bastard drank our entire stock of grog then just when we were about to ask him to pay the bill, there was a big explosion at his table. We think he exploded from drinking too much because he was gone!"

"But that guy must have been just as scary as Hawk Eye," commented the first cook again. "Almost everyone was afraid to go near him. The guy's a murderer that had been plaguing the Grand Line. He had that one eye that glowed bright red, the only person who actually got a good look at him was that idiot waiter. He scared the waiters so much they all jumped ship."

"We still haven't been able to replace 'em," added Patty.

Zoro ignored the cooks' story and glared at the table in front of him, he remember Johnny telling him that Hawk Eye went to Baratie. Then Ricky had mentioned that he had actually _seen_ Hawk Eye during his time in the Grand Line. While Ricky might have been telling the truth, Zoro wasn't looking for Red Eye, he was looking for Hawk Eye. Johnny hadn't gotten it right. "That snake! He lied to me!" growled Zoro.

"What'd Johnny do?" asked Luffy.

"Oh, nothing," replied Zoro, hoping Luffy would forget it.

"So he beat the whole Armada," commented Sanji as he turned back to Gin. "Did you do something to make him mad?"

"Not that I know of," answered Gin.

"Maybe you interrupted his nap," suggested Zeff.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" yelled Gin. "HE MURDERED MY CREWMATES!"

"Calm down, I wasn't joking," said Zeff. "That's the kind of place the Grand Line is. Anything can happen there."

"_That's what Ricky said,"_ Luffy commented quietly. Luffy had been listening on Gaimon's island when Ricky told them about the Grand Line. But how did Ricky survive when Krieg couldn't? From the look of things, Ricky had only gotten stronger after going to the Grand Line. The only negative thing that had happened to him was that he had only one eye and didn't show much emotion.

"Anything can happen there, eh?" repeated Zoro.

"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed Luffy. "I've got goose-bumps! That's just what Ricky said, it's a place where anything can happen!"

"Please," pleaded Usopp, "For once think of the danger!"

"Now I know where I have to go, to the Grand Line," said Zoro as he put his feet up on the table in front of him. "That's where I'll find_ him_."

"You're fools," scolded Sanji as he took a drag of his cigarette. "You'll both be killed as soon as you get there."

"True enough," replied Zoro. "But the day I decided to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, I left my life behind. No one calls me a fool but me. I have my reasons."

"Me too, me too!" agreed Luffy, he was going to become King of the Pirates.

"That's true for a real man like me," bluffed Usopp.

"Stop lying," scolded Zoro as he lightly hit Usopp in the head with the handle of his sword.

"Humph, stupid…" muttered Sanji, while Zeff and Gin just stared at the three Straw Hats.

"You lame-brains!" Patty suddenly shouted. "You still don't understand what's going on! Right outside those sea-wolves on Don Krieg's galleon are reviving themselves. Dey're the most savage pirates in all the sea! If you wanna dream, do it after this is over!"

**---x---**

Outside on Don Krieg's ship the pirates were eating and slowly reviving but at that time another commotion was going on.

"Hey you! Get back here!" shouted a pirate as he and another pirate chased after Ricky.

"Not likely," muttered Ricky as he ran with a large sack of treasure slung over his back. It was half as big as he was but he was still putting distance between himself and the two pirates. _"Who's brilliant idea was it to feed the starving pirates?"_

Ricky ended up coming to a dead end at the ship's bow and stood on the deck near the railing staring down at the water below him. He was cornered. The two pirates chasing him smirked as they slowly approached the one-eyed treasure hunter.

"Give us back the treasure and we'll try not ta hurt ya!" said one of the pirates as he pulled out his sword.

"You're just getting yourself in more trouble fer strugglin' boy!" agreed the second pirate.

"And what will you do if I refuse?" asked Ricky with a raised eyebrow, "I'm not giving this back. There's no way you're a guy like 'Foul Play' Krieg abides by the Pirate's Code."

"Alright, now yer dead!" shouted the first pirate as he rushed at Ricky.

"I think not," replied Ricky as he reached into his top right pants pocket and pulled out an Explosion Ball. "See ya," Ricky threw the ball down on the deck in front of him, **KA-BOOM!! **On impact with the deck the Explosion Ball did what it was made to and exploded in a cloud of fire and smoke. When it finally cleared, the two pirates found themselves standing on their own. Ricky AND the big sack of treasure were gone. All that remained was a hole in the deck where he'd been standing. The pirates glanced over the edge of the ship but they saw nothing in the water.

"He got away!" exclaimed one of the pirates.

"Don Krieg'll kill us when he finds out that some punk kid stole from him!" the other pirate almost cried. "What do we do?"

"We don't tell him," suggested the first pirate. "What the Don doesn't know, won't hurt him and in the mean time, we'll search the ship. He can't have gotten far."

"This is gonna be hard to keep from Krieg," commented the second pirate, the fear evident in his voice, "Our lives depend on finding that one-eyed brat!"

"What I'd like to know is, if he has what I think he does… how he got them out?" wondered the first pirate. "Only Krieg knew the combination to that safe and its too thick to break into with brute force."

"Let's not worry about that and just find the twerp," suggested the second pirate. "I'll search the lower levels, you look for him around here." With a nod the two pirates ran off but little did they know, Ricky was bobbing up and down in the water below them.

**Splash!** The sack of treasure broke the surface with Ricky underneath it. Ricky held the treasure sack on his back as he swam away from the galleon turtle-style. "Idiots," muttered Ricky but then something caught his eye. A lone figure was slowly sailing closer in a small boat, "No! Not him! Why here?" Forgetting about being discrete Ricky frantically kicked the water and put on a sudden burst of speed and fled the ship as fast as he possibly could without leaving behind his treasure, _"Get out of the water… get out of the water…"_

**---x---**

Back on the ship, Don Krieg was getting ready to address the rest of the pirate crew, "WE'RE SAVED!" shouted out a bunch of pirates after finishing they're meal.

"We're back from the brink, it's a miracle!"

"Out nightmare is over! We've escaped our doom!"

"Good," said Krieg, "and now we can return to the Grand Line!" The pirates all turned and stared at him in shock, they had just been there and had barely survived, and now he wanted to go BACK?

"Why the frowns?" questioned Krieg at seeing his crew's reluctant faces.

"You still want to go back to that place?" asked a pirate in horror. But before the pirate could react, Krieg shot him with one of the guns on his arms, **BANG!**

"Anyone else?" demanded Krieg after allowing the crew to get over its shock of seeing him shoot the pirate, "or are we in agreement?"

"AYE!" the pirates cheered to show that they agreed, then Krieg continued, "Now let's abandon this hulk of a ship and board the restaurant ship. A bunch of stupid cooks can't stop us!" The pirates cheered and started howling. "ARROOOOOOO!"

**---x---**

No one but a frantic one-eyed treasure hunter seemed to notice a lone figure slowly drifting closer in small coffin-shaped boat.

**AROOOOO!!** Back in the Baratie everyone inside could hear the howling coming from Krieg's ship. "Here they come!" warned Carne. "That's their battle cry!"

"We have to defend our restaurant!" exclaimed another cook.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU STUPID CHEFS!" came the shouts from the Krieg Pirates as the prepared to board the Baratie the ship.

**SLISH! SLISH!** Out of nowhere and in an instant two huge cuts appeared in the flagship.

**KLINK!** A swordsman sheathed his sword and stood nearby to watch the result of his work.

**KRASH!! BOOOM!!** Out of nowhere Krieg's Galleon suddenly broke into clean pieces as if sliced by a giant blade. "WHOA!" shouted the cooks in marvel as they watched the ship come apart seemingly on its own.

"WWWAAAAHHHHH!!" screamed the Krieg Pirates that had been unfortunate enough to still be on the ship. The halves of the galleon tipped and the pirates went rolling across the deck.

"What was that!?" exclaimed Luffy from the restaurant.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" roared Don Krieg from the broken ship.

"CAPTAIN KRIEG!" screamed one of his pirates. "OUR SHIP WAS JUST CUT IN HALF!"

"Cut in half?" repeated Krieg in disbelief, as the two halves of the ship started sinking into the whirlpool that had appeared under them, "THIS IS CRAZY! How could this be possible?"

"DROP ANCHOR!" ordered Zeff. "Or our ship will be sucked into the whirlpool!"

"Damn it!" cursed Zoro as he, Luffy, and Usopp raced out of the restaurant. "Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny are on our ship!"

"And Ricky was on _that_ ship!" Usopp reminded Zoro, as they rushed out the door, "We may be too late!"

The second Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp made it outside they heard people shouting out to them, "**BROTHERS! BROTHERS HELP!**" shouted Johnny and Yosaku as they swam towards them.

"Johnny, Yosaku, are you guys alright?" questioned Zoro. "Where's our ship? Where's Nami?"

"Sorry, Brother…" apologized the bounty hunters. "THEY'RE GONE! SISTER NAMI … SHE TOOK ALL THE TREASURE AND SAILED OFF WITH YOUR SHIP!!!"

"SHE DID WHAAAAAAAT!?" Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro screamed together.

"**So… Nami's gone?"** questioned Ricky. Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro whirled around to face him and their eyes went wide. Ricky was sitting back against the wall of the Baratie attempting to catch his breath. A large wet sack of treasure was lying next to him, and since he was sitting it looked to be as big as he was.

"You don't seem overly surprised," commented Zoro as he glanced at Ricky and the big sack of treasure that was sitting on the Baratie deck next to him.

"I'm not," answered Ricky, "But I have a surprise for you…"

In the doorway of the restaurant, Zeff noticed a mysterious man sailing through the wreckage of Krieg's flagship on a tiny boat. Just one look at the man told him all he needed to know. "It's him," mumbled Zeff.

While clinging to the railing of his sinking flagship Krieg noticed the same figure that Zeff did, "THAT BASTARD! HE FOLLOWED US HERE!"

**---x---**

**The Parting of Ways**

**---x---**

Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro stared down at Johnny and Yosaku as they laid on the deck of the Baratie, Ricky was sitting against the wall nearby. "What did you say?" questioned Usopp.

"For real?" asked Luffy. "Nami sailed off with the Going Merry?"

"I need a straight answer! Now what happened!?" demanded Zoro.

"Well, it all happened in only a few minutes…" began Yosaku.

**---Johnny and Yosaku's Flashback---**

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at Sister Nami?" asked Yosaku as he and Johnny approached the navigator who was staring at a bundle of Wanted Posters.

"It's nothing really," Nami said dismissively.

Johnny peered over her shoulder at the poster on top, "Nice!" he commented, "Now that's a big bounty. I've gotta say I'm impressed. But I think you're aiming a little too high going after Arlong. These days that maniac is causing all sorts of trouble."

"That guy's so powerful," said Yosaku as he and Johnny stared off the side of the ship, Nami quietly snuck around them while the bounty hunters were lost in thought. "It's hard to walk away from a twenty million berri bounty but we wouldn't stand a chance."

Johnny and Yosaku turned around to see Nami tugging at her shirt, "Hey, would you guys mind turning around while I change into something more comfortable?"

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind!" Yosaku quickly agreed, he and Johnny blushed.

"Changing?" questioned Johnny, "Like right now?"

"It's so hot," explained Nami as she winked at the two bounty hunters, sending them scurrying to turn around.

"Yeah, you're hot… uh… it's hot," they agreed as they stared off the side of the ship.

"Is she really changing?" wondered Johnny.

"Hey, what do you say we turn around and see if she's done yet?" suggested Yosaku.

**WHUUMP!!** Before the Bounty Hunters had a chance to peak, Nami shoved them both over the railing, "WAAAAAHHHHH!" **SPLASH!!**

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" demanded Johnny as soon as they resurfaced. He and Yosaku glared up at Nami who was leaning back against the railing they had been pushed over. She had her back to them.

"I'm doing business of course," replied Nami as she turned and smiled at them. "Use your heads guys, I'm a thief that only targets pirates and my next score is this ship. I'm not a member of this crew any longer. Even though I only spent a short time with Ricky, Luffy and the gang, I sue had a lot of fun." Johnny and Yosaku just gaped at the thief. "Make sure to tell them that if it's really meant to be I'll see them real soon."

"HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" shouted Yosaku as Nami took control of the Merry and started sailing off.

"We're gong be in so much trouble!" exclaimed Johnny.

"Our only job was to look after the ship and you made us fail miserably," wailed Yosaku.

**SLISH! SLISH! BOOOOOM!! **Don Krieg's flagship was suddenly sliced and fell apart right in front of the two terrified bounty hunters.

**---End of J and Y's flashback---**

"And that's how she got away," finished Johnny.

"That wench, she had us all fooled!" snapped Zoro.

"Kaya gave us that ship!" exclaimed Usopp, "that heartless witch!"

"Wait, I can still see our ship," Luffy called out.

"Really?" asked Ricky as he stood up and walked up beside Luffy and looked in the direction he was looking in but due to the fact that he barely had depth perception with one eye he really couldn't see the small speck that Luffy could. Ricky quickly turned to Johnny and Yosaku, "Where's your ship?"

"It's still here," answered Yosaku.

"Alright, first… do you mind if I borrow that green thing?" requested Ricky, "All my clothes were all on the ship."

Uh… alright…" agreed Yosaku as he shrugged off his long green hooded coat, leaving him in his black t-shirt and yellow shorts. Yosaku handed the coat over and Ricky quickly slipped it on so it went down passed to his knees. The coat clashed horribly with his red hair but since he would otherwise be shirtless, he had to make due.

"Now go get your ship ready," instructed Ricky, "we'll go after Nami."

"YES SIR!" chorused Johnny and Yosaku as they ran off to get their ship.

"Zoro! Usopp!" started Luffy. "Get—"

"Forget her, why should we go after that little thief?" questioned Zoro.

"But what about the ship… Kaya's ship!" said Usopp as he turned and looked at Zoro in shock.

"I don't care if you go or not. But I am," said Ricky. "I'll get Nami back if it kills me."

"NAMI'S GOING TO BE OUR NAVIGATOR AND NO ONE ELSE!" Luffy shouted.

"Okay… okay…" conceded the swordsman. He shook his head at the Captain, First Mate, and Sniper. "I get it. You're giving me a headache."

"You're really coming?" asked Ricky as he looked at Zoro in disbelief. He knew Zoro would want to stay once he found out who had cut Krieg's ship in half.

"Yeah…" answered Zoro.

"HOORAY!" cheered Usopp causing Ricky to shake his head.

While they were talking Johnny and Yosaku had gotten their ship ready. "Brother Ricky, the ship's ready," reported the Bounty Hunters. Ricky grabbed his big sack of treasure and let out a low grunt as he carried it onto the ship.

"Wow Brother!" exclaimed Yosaku, "How'd you get that!?"

"I raided Don Krieg's ship, where do you think I got it?" retorted Ricky. "The best part is that now that his ship is sinking, he'll never miss it."

"How much is it?" asked Johnny as he stared at the sack that was half as big as Ricky.

"I haven't gotten around to counting it yet," replied Ricky, "Come on Usopp." The swordsman and the marksman climbed onto the small boat but the Captain stayed where he was.

"Luffy, you're not coming?" questioned Usopp.

"I can't," confessed Luffy, "I need to stay on the Baratie."

"Take care," said Zoro as he walked over to the ship. "Things could get dangerous."

"I know," answered Luffy.

"Zoro, why are you coming?" asked Ricky.

"You guys badgered me into it!" snapped Zoro.

"Look over there," instructed Ricky as he pointed off at the small boat that was sailing through what remained of Krieg's flagship, "It's him. It's 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk."

**---x---**

Over with Krieg, his pirates were making the observation that the Straw Hats just did. "DON KRIEG! IT'S HIM!" screamed a pirate, "ITS THE DEVIL THAT SANK ALL OF OUR SHIPS! HE FOLLOWED US HERE! HE'S COME TO KILL US!"

"That son of a bitch!" cursed Krieg.

**---x---**

"Is it really him?" asked Zoro, "Hawk Eye?"

"That's him," answered Ricky with a nod, he glanced at Zoro. "Suddenly you don't want to leave."

**---x---**

Hawk Eye sailed around the wreckage and came up to the Baratie he was in a small boat with a single black sail. It was shaped like a coffin and had two burning green candles in front of it. The guy _had_ to be strong if he sailed the Grand Line in _that_. He wore a large wide-brimmed black hat with a feather in it, he had a black beard and short black hair and wore gray pants with black boots. He also had on a long black coat with purple sleeves. The coat was opened showing his sculpted muscles and the gold cross on his neck. It was also hard to miss the hilt of the huge six-foot sword that was about as big as the man was that was strapped to his back. When Mihawk tilted his head up, everyone could see his piercing yellow eyes, just by looking they could tell he really was the World's Greatest Swordsman.

"Dat's him?" Patty asked the other cooks, "The one who sunk fifty ships, single handedly?"

"So he's the one who cut Krieg's ship in half," commented a cook. "He looks like a normal person. And I can't see any weapons."

"His special weapon is on his back," said Zeff.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed a cook. "How could he cut a ship in half with a sword?"

"That's because Hawk Eye is a Master Swordsman," explained Zeff. "He's the Greatest Swordsman in the World."

**---x---**

"_I never thought I'd meet him so soon," _Zoro thought to himself, _"it's time for me to fulfill my promise."_

**---x---**

"We're doomed!" cried one of Krieg's pirates.

"YOU MONSTER!" screamed one of the braver pirates, "WHY DO YOU KEEP PICKING ON US!?"

"To kill time," Hawk Eye replied simply.

"YOU BASTARD!!" roared the pirate as he drew a pair of pistols.

"…" Mihawk stayed silent and simply drew the giant blade on his back and held it out beside him.

**BAM! BAM!** The pirate aimed right at Mihawk and fired at him. **TINK! TINK! **Mihawk simply twisted his sword and easily deflected both of the bullets so they went passed his face.

"I missed!?" exclaimed the pirate in shock, "But I aimed straight for him!"

"No wonder you idiots got crushed in the Grand Line," commented Ricky as he and Zoro stood behind the pirate. "Shooting at a swordsman is just stupid."

The pirate turned around and glared at Ricky, "And what would you know!?"

"I _know_ you're about to take a swim," answered Ricky, "Machete… BACK KICK!!" Ricky jumped up into the air and lashed his leg out behind him, driving the steel bottom of his boot into the pirate's face, **THWACK!! SPLASH!!** The pirate went flying backwards and landed in the water. "A guy like that would never survive over a week in the Grand Line."

"Three swords… could this guy be…" muttered one of the Krieg pirates as he noticed the three swords sheathed at Zoro's waist.

Zoro stared at Mihawk in a mixture of admiration, awe, and shock, "He deflected the bullets with the tip of his sword," commented Zoro. "I've never seen such subtle sword work."

"Without subtlety a sword is just an iron bar," lectured Hawk Eye, who was now close enough to hear what Zoro had said.

"You used that sword to split the galleon?" questioned Zoro.

"Of course," replied Hawk Eye.

"I see, then you are the greatest," said Zoro with a huge smile on his face. "I set sail for only one reason: to meet you."

"And what is your goal?" Mihawk asked curiously.

"To beat you!" stated Zoro.

"Hmmhmm, how foolish," chuckled Mihawk.

"You sure you want to do this?" Ricky asked Zoro.

"I've got to," Zoro answered quietly before directing his attention back to Mihawk, he took his bandana off his arm and tied it on his head, then drew _Wado Ichimonji_. "If you're looking for some fun, then fight me," challenged Zoro.

"Zoro, you haven't been to the Grand Line yet," Ricky reminded him, "do you really think you're ready? Krieg thought the same thing and look what happened to him."

"I've been waiting for this moment my entire life," said Zoro, "I might not get another chance."

"Fine," conceded Ricky with an indifferent shrug, "just don't get killed, that's the only way your dreams will be truly destroyed. Good luck Zoro." With that Ricky turned and walked back towards the Baratie, this was something he _definitely _didn't want to get in the middle of.

"Did the cyclops just say Zoro?" questioned a pirate, "I knew it! Roronoa Zoro of the three sword style!"

"The Pirate Hunter…" muttered Krieg.

"Him?" questioned Sanji.

"…" Zeff simply stared at the ambitious swordsman.

"Ricky! We don't have time for this!" exclaimed Usopp as Ricky laid down on the deck next to him and stared up at the sky. There were storm clouds overhead. "The ship is almost out of sight!"

"I know where she's going," Ricky told him calmly without looking at the marksman.

"You do?" questioned Usopp and Luffy at the same time. But Ricky didn't answer.

"You want to fight?" questioned Mihawk. "You're a weak pitiful creature." **SKISH!** In the blink of an eye Mihawk leapt from his coffin-boat onto the sinking deck of Krieg's galleon beside Zoro. "If you are a competent swordsman then you don't need to cross swords with me to know that I far surpass you. I must ask you why you've challenged me? Could it be your courage or is it simply ignorance?"

"It comes from ambition," answered Zoro as he put his sword in his mouth and quickly drew his two other blades, "And a promise to a friend."

"The World's Greatest Swordsman going up against Roronoa Zoro," commented Patty, "they're both masters of swordplay, I wonder how this fight's gonna turn out to be."

Luffy stared and watched the two swordsmen while Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku all gulped. **GULP!**

**---x---**

"They really are a great bunch of guys," Nami said to herself as she sailed off in the Going Merry, "I hope we meet again, maybe they'll let me sail with them." Finally the tears started to fall, "I can't wait to be free… Bellemere…"

**---x---**

The poll is still opened. If you feel strongly either way, make your voice heard and vote. I plan on posting the next chapter on Monday, I'll close the poll before I do it. The current results are 13 - Skip and 6 - Rewrite.

I'm the author and I'm impartial, so I could go either way. If you decide that you want me to include the rest of the arc, this story will be five chapters longer and I'll probably rip of 4-Kids a lot. The Baratie is quite possibly one of the worst arcs that 4-Kids got their hands on, right after the Little Garden Arc... oh wait! If you don't want me to include those fights and read my complaints with 4-Kids, then vote skip and you'll get to the Arlong Park Arc faster. There are going to be some major changes to the Arlong Park Arc and some of your questions about Ricky's past and his history in the Grand Line will start to be answered. But again, it's up to you.

Next chapter Zoro fights the World's Greatest Swordsman and goes overboard and then makes an oath that will change his life forever.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!e


	27. Chapter 26

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** The poll is now closed. The results are at the end of the chapter.

**Zoro Overboard**

**-x-**

Zoro drew his swords and faced off with Mihawk, he knew that if he was going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman then he needed to beat 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk for the title. "I never thought I'd find you so soon," commented Zoro.

"That does not make you any better," Mihawk replied.

"The World's Greatest Swordsman and the Pirate Hunter," observed a cook.

"No one alive can defeat Brother Zoro," Johnny bragged.

"Look at what that bastard did to my ship!" Krieg exclaimed as he stared down at the sinking remains of his galleon. All that was left was the last of the deck, a mast, and a few railings.

"What's that for?" asked Zoro as Hawk Eye took the cross off of his neck and pulled off the end to reveal a tiny dagger. The blade of the dagger was no bigger than Zoro's middle finger.

"It'll be more than adequate to beat you," explained Mihawk, "only and idiot would try to kill a fly with a cannon."

Ricky grinned, he could think of an idiot that would do that.

**-Somewhere Else in the East Blue-**

"AAACHOOOOO!" sneezed mini-Buggy, as he hid around the corner of a cliff and waited for the giant bird he was hunting to fall in the pit he'd dug. "Someone must be flashily talking about me."

**CA-CAW! **Buggy's sneeze had drawn the attention of the bird, it ignored the hole and chased after Buggy.

"DAMN IT! GET AWAY YOU STUPID BIRD!" shouted mini-Buggy as he ran for his life.

**-Back at the Baratie-**

"You may have a big reputation in the East Blue," Hawk Eye admitted, "but that doesn't mean much to me. This sea is by far the weakest of the four." Hawk Eye held up his tiny dagger, "Unfortunately, I don't carry any blades smaller than this one."

"Take it easy with that bravado," Zoro warned him as he charged forward. "YOU'LL REGRET IT WHEN I BEAT YOU!"

"You have no idea how big the world really is," said Mihawk, as he held the dagger in front of him.

"DEMON SLICE!" Zoro shouted as he swung his swords at Hawk Eye, **SLISH!SLISH! KLANG! **All Mihawk had done was thrust out his tiny knife and he managed to block and keep all three of Zoro's swords at bay.

"What the…" grunted Zoro in complete surprise.

"Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed.

"He stopped Brother Zoro's Demon Slice attack!" Johnny shrieked.

"That move never fails!" Yosaku added.

"He's completely outmatched," said Ricky, he was still staring up at the clouds in the sky, not even looking at the fight. "Talk about being emasculated."

"_It won't budge!" _shouted Zoro in his head as he fought against Hawk Eye and the dagger, _"No one has ever stopped that technique! But he did it with that pocketknife! This can't be happening! He can't be this much better than me! There's no way our skills are this far apart." _

"RAAAAH! I AM NOT THAT FAR BEHIND THE WORLD'S STRONGEST!" Zoro yelled as he pulled back and then began swinging all three of his swords at Mihawk. The strikes were lightning fast, and few people could actually see them. **SWISH! SWISH!** **KLANG! KLANG! **But those who could see the swords saw that Hawk Eye was easily deflecting and blocking them all with his tiny knife.

**KLANG!** **THUD! **Mihawk pushed his knife forward and Zoro was knocked off balance and onto his back, but he quickly got back up.

"Brother Zoro, don't let him beat you!" Johnny encouraged him.

"Pull yourself together and fight seriously!" Yosaku advised.

"He _is_ fighting seriously," Ricky stated. "He's going all out. Zoro's gonna learn not to underestimate people from the Grand Line."

"YOU CAN'T BE THAT MUCH BETTER THAN ME!" Zoro yelled as he once again charged at Mihawk and attacked him with all three swords.

Zoro was once again lashing out at Mihawk using all three of his blades with lightning fast attacks. **SWISH! SWISH! KLANG! KLANK!** "Such heavy handed sword play," criticized Hawk Eye, **KLANG!** Mihawk leaned back and used his knife to block the sword in Zoro's mouth.

"He's fending off Roronoa Zoro's three sword attacks with that toothpick!" exclaimed a Krieg Pirate.

"_I didn't devote my entire life to swordsmanship to be dispatched by a toy like this!"_ Zoro thought to himself.

"_ZORO!"_called out Kuina in Zoro's mind.

**SWISH!** Mihawk dodge another of Zoro's attacks causing Zoro to go off balance and fall passed him, **CHOP!** Mihawk brought his hand down on the back of Zoro's neck, driving him down to the deck.** THUD!**

"_AAARRRGGG!" screamed a younger Zoro when Kuina sent his 'real swords' flying._

"_You're lucky Zoro, being born as a man," said Kuina, "all I ever wanted was to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. If only… if had just been born a man!"_

"_Promise me, promise me that some day one of us will become the World's Greatest Swordsman! We'll see who gets there!" exclaimed Zoro when he and Kuina made their promise. But Kuina had died the next day, and now Zoro had to carry on for her and adopted his three-sword style._

**HUFF… HUFF…** Zoro panted as he stared at his opponent, who still hadn't even broken a sweat. "I have to beat this man," Zoro said to himself, "for her."

Zoro staggered towards Mihawk and swung at him, **SWISH!** His attack came up empty as Mihawk easily dodged it. Zoro tumbled passed him and fell to the deck once again, **THUD! **

"What drives you?" Mihawk inquired as stared down at Zoro. "Why do you fight so hard when you can not win? You're a weakling!"

"Brother is not a weakling, Buzzard Eye!" Johnny shouted as he rushed at Hawk Eye.

"We'll teach you a lesson!" threatened Yosaku as he ran towards with Johnny towards the two swordsmen.

"STOP!" Luffy ordered as he reached out and grabbed their collars, "DON'T GET INVOLVED! CONTROL YOURSELVES!"

"Luffy…" mumbled Usopp.

"No! I won't lose!" Zoro refused as he got back up and prepared to attack Mihawk again. "I refuse to be defeated."

"_The World's Greatest Swordsman," said Luffy with a smile, "that's great. And it's fitting since your new Captain is going to be King of the Pirates. Anything else would make me look bad."_

"TIGER HUNT!" Zoro leapt at Mihawk and swung his swords at him.

**SHUNK!** Mihawk countered by thrusting his knife in between the blades in Zoro's hands, inside his guard, and plunged the knife into Zoro's chest. Blood squirted out and started dripping down Zoro's chest.

"BROTHER!" shouted Yosaku and Johnny, while Luffy simply kept watching.

**Drip… drip… **Zoro grunted in pain, but made no move to pull off of the knife, causing more blood to drip down onto the floor. Mihawk was surprised by this and decided to voice his concerns. "Do you want me to cut your guts out?" asked Hawk Eye. "Why don't you retreat?"

"I can't," Zoro answered, blood was dripping down out of his mouth and had already reached his neck. "If I take a single step back… my ambition… everything I care about… will be shattered… and all my dreams will be lost forever."

"That's what defeat is," Mihawk pointed out.

"Heh heh, that's why I can't step back," Zoro chuckled, despite the knife imbedded in his chest.

"Even if it means death?" questioned Hawk Eye.

"I'd rather die than give up!" Zoro growled.

Mihawk was impressed, _"What a strong will, he'd rather die than lose."_ Hawk Eye withdrew the knife from Zoro's chest and put it away, "Boy… speak your name," requested Mihawk.

"Roronoa Zoro," Zoro complied as he moved his swords and got into a new fighting stance

"I'll remember it," Mihawk promised. "It's been a while since I've met someone with such strong spirit. As a swordsman's courtesy I'll use the world's strongest black blade to finish you." To the shock of everyone Hawk Eye drew the enormous black blade on his back and held it in front of him. Even Ricky sat up and was actually watching the duel now.

"I appreciate it," replied Zoro.

"HE'S DRAWN IT!" screamed a pirate. "THAT'S THE SWORD HE USED TO SLICE APART OUR SHIP!"

"Good job Zoro," Ricky whispered. "You might not win but you've earned his respect. That'll go a long way."

"_This is it, my last chance,"_ Zoro said to himself. _"It's either become the Greatest Swordsman, or death."_

"DIE!" exclaimed Mihawk as he charged at Zoro.

"BROTHER, PLEASE! GIVE UP!" Yosaku pleaded, causing Ricky to shake his head, that stupid bounty hunter hadn't been listening to anything Zoro said.

"THREE-SWORD STYLE SECRET TECHNIQUE …" started Zoro as he spun the two swords in his arms around like a pair of propellers. "THREE… THOUSAND… WORLDS!" **KLANG! **There was a flash of purple as Mihawk rushed passed Zoro and slashing his sword as he went. Zoro stood still for a moment but then… **KRA-KRACK! SPURT! **The two swords in Zoro's hand broke in a half and blood burst out from a large wound on Zoro's chest.

"_I've lost,"_ Zoro said to himself, as he dropped down to his knees and put his remaining sword away _"It's over… I never foresaw this! So this is the world's greatest."_

Zoro slowly stood up and turned to face Mihawk while holding his arms out at his sides.

"What are you doing?" asked Hawk Eye.

"It's shameful for a swordsman to have scars on his back," Zoro reminded him.

"Magnificent," commented Mihawk. **SWASH!** There was another flash of purple as Mihawk lashed out at Zoro and sliced him diagonally across the chest. **SPLURT!** The violent slash caused even more blood to burst out from Zoro's chest, even Ricky winced. Zoro's new wound intersected the first one, now he had a big bloody x-shaped wound on his chest.

"ZORO!" Luffy hollered as he watched in horror as blood burst out from the large wound on Zoro's chest.

**-x-**

**The Oath**

**-x-**

Mihawk had won, with that final slash of his black sword he sliced Zoro open. Blood splurted everywhere as Zoro dropped his sword and fell to the ground. "Don't give up on your life so soon, young warrior," said Mihawk. Screams filled the air as Luffy, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku screamed in horror at Zoro's defeat.

"_Why?"_ wondered Sanji as he watched Zoro fall.

"Is this the true power of the Grand Line?" questioned a pirate. "Even 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro can't compare to him!"

Sanji kept looking on in shock, remembering how Zoro had said he left his life behind when he decided to become the Greatest Swordsman. _"That crazy kid, he went against the world's best. He never had a prayer. But he'd rather die than give up." _He glared at Zoro and shouted, "IT'S EASY! ABANDON YOUR STUPID DREAM!" Ricky rolled his eye then got up started walking to where Mihawk was standing.

**SPLASH! **Zoro dropped his remaining sword and fell backwards into the water. "BROTHER!" Yosaku and Johnny cried out as they dove into the water and swam over to Zoro.

"DAMN YOU!" Luffy shouted as he shot out his arm, **SWISH!** Mihawk simply stepped to the side and dodged Luffy's first strike. **VREEENNNG! **Luffy's rubber arm retracted and he went flying at Mihawk, but again Mihawk simply moved to the side, **WHAM! **Luffy went crashing down to the deck and smashed his head through the wood.

"So that mouthy little brat is a fruit user," Krieg realized, as he and all the people who hadn't already seen Luffy's rubber powers were shocked.

Ricky shook his head and walked over, "I'm not here to fight," Ricky stated as he reached down and picked up Zoro's remaining sword. Luffy meanwhile struggled to pull his head from the deck where it had been imbedded. Ricky stood in front of Mihawk and stared him in the eye, both of them were eerily calm. But one was six inches tall and was known throughout the world as the World's Greatest Swordsman while the other was simply the First Mate of a relatively unknown pirate crew from the East Blue.

"Haven't I seen you before?" asked Mihawk as he stared curiously at Ricky.

"Once in passing," replied Ricky. "I was with my older brother. And I'm still thankful you decided not to kill us all."

"Ah, now I remember, you were the mouthy kid that threw a treasure chest at me."

"To be fair, I was just getting used to being a pirate in that part of the world," Ricky pointed out. "Seeing the World's Greatest Swordsman at that stage of my career was very surprising."

"You were with _that_ crew back then though," recalled Mihawk. "You also had longer hair and two eyes. Is this your new crew?"

"Yup, being a part of that crew was great," admitted Ricky. "But he's in the past. That's why I never took his mark. The rubber guy behind you is the future." Mihawk glanced at Luffy who was still struggling to get his head out from the deck. Ricky sweat-dropped but continued anyway. "He may seem strange but he's my brother and I'll support him in everything he does. He's the one pirate I'd pledge my undying loyalty to. We're Nakama."

"Hmmhmm, I see," chuckled Mihawk, "Then I look forward to seeing you again. You did well to allow him to fight his own battle."

"Beating you has been his life's dream," Ricky explained. "I've learned that you can sometimes learn more from a loss than a victory. I'm not sure you'd understand that but I'm hoping that he'll learn from this loss and get stronger because of this." **URK! WHUMP! **Luffy pulled his head out of the deck and flopped onto his back.

"Don't worry, I left him alive," Mihawk told Luffy.

Off in a distance, Johnny and Yosaku had pulled Zoro up onto their boat. "Brother, speak to us."

Luffy sat up and looked in the direction of the boat, "Zoro?" Luffy called out, suddenly Zoro coughed and started coughing up blood. "Zoro!"

"Come on, get him on board!" Usopp ordered as the Bounty Hunters struggled to get Zoro on board.

Hawk Eye turned to face the boat and called out to Zoro, "It's still far too early for you to die. My name is Hawk Eye Mihawk! You're strong but there is much for you to learn. No matter how many years it takes I will hold this title as the Greatest in the World and wait for you. Until that day you must hone your skills. Then, SEEK ME OUT RORONOA ZORO!"

While Luffy got back up, Johnny and Yosaku were pleading for Zoro to wake up, "Please Zoro, speak to us!"

"Not just anyone can earn the regard of Hawk Eye Mihawk," Zeff commented.

"You two, what is your goal?" asked Mihawk as he turned to face Ricky and Luffy.

"To find the treasure," Ricky answered immediately.

"To be the King," said Luffy.

"You're ambitions are even loftier than your friend's," Hawk Eye remarked. "That's quite a task."

"Like I told you, Luffy here is the future," Ricky informed Mihawk. "Just ask Shanks. That's his straw hat he's wearing. Once we reach the Grand Line you'll be hearing our names a lot." **SPLASH! **Ricky turned and dove into the water and swam for the ship bringing Zoro's sword with him.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S DANGEROUS!" Luffy yelled a Mihawk, not caring that he was the World's Greatest Swordsman, or that he _had_ just thrashed Zoro. "I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

"Usopp, is Zoro okay?" asked Ricky as popped up out of the water and climbed onto the boat, bringing Zoro's white handled sword_ Wado Ichimonji _along with him.

"No!" answered Usopp, "He's not okay! He's not dead, but he's unconscious and he's bleeding all over the place!"

**UBB! UBB! **"Brother!" Johnny cried as tears poured out of his eye..

"Brother, say something, please!" Yosaku pleaded.

"Hear that Zoro?" asked Ricky as he picked up Zoro's sword and held the blade, offering the handle to the supposedly unconscious swordsman. "They want you to say something. Are you still going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman? Or are you going to give up your dream? You're still alive so you haven't failed yet, are you going to give up and let Kuina down?"

In response Zoro gripped the sword tightly and raised it up into the air. Ricky's face broke out in a grin while everyone else seemed surprised. "Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed, happy to see that his Nakama was still moving.

"Luffy… can you hear me?" asked Zoro.

"Yes I hear you," Luffy answered.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you," Zoro apologized. "I know you need nothing less than the Greatest Swordsman in the World. I've let you down. Please forgive me."

"Brother, save your breath!" Johnny scolded him.

"NEVER AGAIN!" Zoro shouted with tears streaking down his face. "I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN! From now until I beat that man to become the World's Greatest Swordsman… I WILL NEVER LOSE AGAIN! Got a problem with that, KING OF THE PIRATES!"

"Haha, NOPE!" Luffy laughed in reply.

"They make a good team," Mihawk commented to himself as he headed back to his boat, "I hope to see you again someday."

"Hey, Hawk Eye!" Don Krieg suddenly called after the departing swordsman. "Didn't you come here for my head? The head of Don Krieg, King of the East Blue?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Mihawk admitted. "But I've had enough fun for today so I'm going home to get some rest."

"Hold it right there!" Krieg snapped. "You may have had your fun but I haven't. I've only been on the receiving end."

"Don Krieg," called out one of the Krieg Pirates, "If the man wants to leave, for the love of God, let him go!"

But Krieg ignored the pirate and used the gun barrels on the back of his gloves to shoot at Mihawk. "NOW IT'S TIME TO DIE!" **BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!**

"You are indeed a slow learner," Mihawk remarked as he drew his black sword and deflected bullets, causing them to blast the water and create a large splash. **KA-BOOSH!** Hawk Eye was momentarily blocked from view but when the splash cleared he was gone.

The large waves caused by the explosion rocked the remains of Krieg's ship and the ship the Straw Hats and the Bounty Hunters were in. But despite that Ricky stood up and turned to face Luffy.

"Ricky, Usopp, set sail!" Luffy called out to them.

"Aye, aye," said Usopp.

"As long as we're all making promises," commented Ricky as he took Zoro's sword and turned to face Luffy, **SLIK! **The rubber-man flinched when Ricky used Zoro's blade to cut his palm. Ricky kept the sword at his side as he raised his hand up so Luffy could see the blood on it. "Luffy, I swear on my blood that I'll get Nami back."

The expression on Luffy's face was serious, his brother had just sworn a blood oath. He knew from growing up that that meant Ricky would die before he failed. Luffy showed the same courtesy and was serious for once, he nodded. "I'm counting on you."

"You get that cook to join us," Usopp suggested.

"Or don't, whatever's easier," Ricky added as handed Zoro back his sword while Johnny and Yosaku dropped the sail.

"And when we're all together we'll head into the Grand Line!" Usopp announced.

"Right, good luck guys," said Luffy. And with that, they were gone.

"Here come the locusts," Sanji pointed out when he saw Krieg and his band of pirates prepare to attack again.

"Hey Mister," Luffy called up to Zeff as he climbed up onto the deck, "If I chase those guys off can I stop being Chore Boy?"

"You've got a deal," agreed Zeff. Luffy grinned and got ready to fight Don Krieg.

**-x-**

According to the pole the majority of you want me to skip the rest of the fights in the Baratie Arc and skip ahead to the Arlong Park Arc. So that's what I'll do.

The final results of the poll were 17 – skip, 8 – rewrite. The closed poll is on my profile page, it'll prove that I'm not making this up. Thanks to everyone who voted, or has read and reviewed this story, you guys are awesome.

For those of you who voted to keep the fights in, I'd just like to point out me rewriting those fights will never compare to actually watching them in the anime. I can only describe fights so much, it's better to see them.

Next chapter is the last chapter in the Baratie Arc, Luffy and the cooks attempt to convince Sanji to join Luffy's pirate crew after an incident with some soup.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	28. Chapter 27

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Soup:**

**---x---**

It was finally over. 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy had beaten the Pirate Admiral 'Foul Play' Don Krieg, who had previously been called the strongest pirate from the East Blue. Diamond gauntlets, built in guns, a flamethrower, bombs, wooden stakes, a spiked cape, the MH5 the deadly poison gas bomb, the exploding battle spear, and the wootz steal body armor. Don Krieg had lived up to his 'Foul Play' nickname and employed every dirty tactic and weapon he had in his arsenal. But in the end, it was all useless against someone as strong-willed and determined as Monkey D. Luffy.

Luffy had withstood the explosions, survived the poison gas, and shattered Krieg's armor before he drove him down into the deck of the Baratie with a vicious Gum Gum Hammer. Don Krieg's spotless battle record had been tarnished and after Sanji had fished him out of the water, Luffy had walked away from the fight as the victor.

As 'Red Shoes' Zeff had told Sanji during the battle, _"Even with a hundred thousand more weapons our Chore Boy can still bring him to his knees because he does not know fear. Krieg may have more pirates in his command, he may have terrible weapons that cause mass destruction to everything in his path, but he will never have that kid's heart."_

After the fight the unconscious Don Krieg was still on his feet shrieking that he would never be defeated. But he was then knocked out by his own right hand man, Gin. During the battle Gin and fought Sanji and had managed to beat him but refused to follow Krieg's order to kill the cook who had fed him and saved him from starving to death. For his failure to follow the order, Krieg had ordered Gin to keep his gasmask off when he launched the MH5 Poison Gas Bomb. Gin had sacrificed himself and gave up his own gasmask so that Luffy and Sanji could survive the deadly gas. He had spent almost the entirety of Luffy's fight with Krieg on the back deck of the Baratie attempting to get the poison gas out of his lungs.

Gin hefted Krieg onto is shoulder and loaded him and the other surviving Krieg pirates onto a boat and then sailed off. Now the long fight was finally over and the threat had passed. Sanji took Luffy to the chef's quarters so he could recover and sleep off his injuries.

**---x---**

**Zzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzz—SNORT! **Luffy awoke with a start and found himself in an unfamiliar bed. It took him a few seconds for him to realize that something important was missing. "GAAAAHH! MY HAT!" exclaimed Luffy, "WHERE'S MY HAT!"

"It's right over there," Sanji pointed out as he casually sat on the windowsill smoking a cigarette. "Calm down."

"Oh good, here it is," Luffy commented as he reached out to the shelf near his bed and put his treasured straw hat back on his head. Now that he had his hat back, Luffy remembered how he got here, "Hey! Those pirates…"

"They're gone now," Sanji told him, "All thanks to you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Sanji replied, "and Gin asked me to tell you 'see you on the Grand Line'."

"Oh, he did… to you?"

"NO! TO YOU!" snapped the cook. Sanji left the room through the window and leaned against the railing of the deck that was outside.

"Soooo… I guess I don't have to do any more lame-o chores now that I got those pirates off of your back, right?" asked Luffy.

"That's the deal," Sanji answered. Zeff had agreed that if Luffy ran off the Krieg Pirates he could stop being the Chore Boy. Luffy had won the battle and Krieg's armada was gone, now he was no longer Chore Boy and was free to go.

"Hey, I was wondering…" Luffy attempted to ask Sanji, but the cook cut him off.

"No, I'm not gonna run away with you and become a pirate," said Sanji. "I've got some unfinished business here and I'll stay until Zeff acknowledges my skill."

Luffy adjusted his hat so it hid his eyes, "Okay, I give up," he conceded.

"THEN WHY WON'T YOU LET GO!" shouted Sanji as he fought to get Luffy's stretched arm off of his collar. Once he got the rubber pirate off of him, Sanji adjusted his collar and attempted to explain to Luffy, "I can't just leave… these bozos don't know the first thing about how to run a restaurant. But still I promised myself that one of these days I'll go to the Grand Line."

"Hahahaha!" laughed Luffy as he stretched his arms out and grabbed onto the railing then pulled himself over so he was sitting on it next to Sanji. "Then let's go now!"

"I just isn't the right time yet," Sanji told him, "But there is one place… have you ever heard of the All Blue?"

Nope," admitted Luffy.

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Sanji, he smiled and explained, "That sea is a miracle! In the All Blue there are fish from all the world's oceans, from the East Blue, the West Blue, the North Blue, and the South Blue! That one stretch of ocean has it all! To us cooks it's a culinary dream come true!" Sanji continued to explain to Luffy. "A place that fantastic has got to be on the Grand Line somewhere, right?

On the deck above them, Zeff leaned against the railing and watched as the Assistant Head Chef explain his dream to Luffy, he was smiling the whole time. _"The little brat looks truly happy," _Zeff thought to himself.

Zeff thought back to when he had saved Sanji's life ten years ago. He was still a pirate then and had just come back from his one-year voyage in the Grand Line. It was a stormy night when Zeff and his crew attacked the cruise ship that Sanji worked as a trainee cook on. Sanji stood up to Zeff and despite getting the crap kicked out of him… literally, the nine year old refused to give up because he hadn't seen the Legendary Ocean known as the All Blue yet.

Zeff had the same dream as Sanji, and that was what drove him to dive into the ocean and save Sanji when he got washed overboard by a big wave. Zeff had lost one of his legendary legs in the process of saving Sanji and getting him to safety. The two of them had been stuck on a small island/large rock for weeks on end and had nearly starved to death. Zeff felt that at one point he really was going to die and his one regret was that he had never seen the All Blue.

That's when the ship came. Zeff and Sanji were saved and had decided to open up an Ocean-Going Restaurant so no one ever had to suffer like they did. If someone was hungry and showed up, they were fed. Sanji grew up on the Baratie and always acted tough around the rough cooks and flirted shamelessly with the women. There were few times that Zeff had ever seen him truly happy, but now was one of them.

**---x---**

**RRRRRRIIIINNNNGGG! **"ALRIGHT GUYS, SOUP'S ON!" called out Patty as the Baratie cooks went to the chef canteen for dinner. The chefs were all seated at a pair of long tables that were filled with an amazing spread of food.

"Oh good, they saved us some seats," Sanji commented sarcastically when he and Luffy arrived at the canteen.

"They did, where?" Luffy wondered. Every seat at the two tables was filled.

"No chairs for you," stated a cook.

"Hah! Just sit on the floor and eat!" chuckled another cook.

"There are no chairs?" questioned Sanji. "That doesn't seem right… this _is_ a restaurant." Sanji and Luffy didn't feel like fighting and got themselves plates of food then took seats on the floor near the door.

"They sure are acting strange," Luffy commented.

"Well that's nothing new," Sanji replied, "bunch of jerks."

**Slurp!** "HEY! WHAT _IS_ THIS!" demanded Patty after trying some of the soup. "WHO PREPARED THE SOUP THIS MORNING!"

"Oh, I did!" answered Sanji as he smiled and raised his hand. "The stuff is pretty good, huh? I think I really outdid myself."

"Is that a joke?" asked Patty as he wiped his mouth with his large forearms, "I can barely hold this slop down! **PTOOI!**"

Sanji glared angrily at Patty, that bastard has just insulted his cooking. Sanji attempted to calm himself down as he slowly stood up and confronted the Fry Cook. "I thought someone like you would like slop, makes sense to me since that's what pigs like."

"Hah! Just face it Sanji, your soup sucks!" retorted Patty as he gave Sanji a thumbs-down. "It's disgusting! **PTOOI! PTOOI!**"

Sanji slowly approached Patty, "That soup was nothing short of a delicacy!" Sanji insisted, "There's something wrong with _your_ taste-buds!"

On the other side of the room, Carne dabbed his mouth with a napkin then gagged, "AWWW! THAT'S GROSS!" he complained after setting down the soup spoon.

The same thing happened with the chefs all around the room. "I can't eat this!"/"Revolting!"/"Yuck! This soup is horrible!" The cooks slammed down their spoons and glared at Sanji. Everyone seemed to dislike his soup.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON, YOU BASTARD!" yelled Sanji.

"We're sick of the way you run things!" Patty told him. "You're a crappy Assistant Head Chef and everybody knows it!"

"You can't settle every argument with violence!" said one cook.

"If your soup sucks, we're gonna tell you so," another cook told him.

"Grrrr… WHAT'D YOU SAY!" shouted Sanji.

While the other cooks were all standing and complaining about Sanji's cooking, Zeff was still seated and was attempting to finish Sanji's soup. "Don't forget that we're sea-faring cooks," Zeff told the other chefs. "So you'd better not waste one drop of that soup!" After nearly starving to death, Zeff was never one to waste food. It wasn't until he finished the last drop of soup that he took the bowl and smashed it on the ground, **KER-RASH!**

Sanji, Luffy, and all the cooks stared in shock as Zeff stood up and glared at Sanji, "That retched little dish tasted like stewed garbage!" Zeff complained. "If we ever served that kind of trash here, we'd go out of business!"

**Whap!** Sanji reached out and grabbed Zeff by the collar, "Are you really this stupid?" demanded Sanji. "Just how is _my_ soup different from any of the stuff you make! HOW!"

"You think they're the same?" asked Zeff. "Don't flatter yourself!" **POW!** The chefs all stared in shock as 'Red Shoes' Zeff a cook/pirate who was famous for his legendary kick _PUNCHED _Sanji upside the face. A cook was never supposed to punch someone or they'd risk damaging their hands.

Sanji held his face and glared up at Zeff, "You think you can lecture me at the art of cooking? Fat chance! I'm a man who's cooked on more seas than days that you've been alive!"

"Damn it!" cursed Sanji as he got up and ran out of the room. _"THAT WORTHLESS OLD MAN! I'M NOT A LITTLE BRAT ANYMORE!" _Sanji flipped over a railing and lashed out his legs in frustration and attempted to work off his anger.

**Slurp! Slurp!** "Aaahh!" sighed Luffy back in the canteen after trying some of Sanji's soup for himself. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, this soup's totally awesome!"

"All of us know the soup's good," Zeff confessed. "I know he's an outstanding chef. Everyone here on the Baratie does."

"Yeah, Sanji's great," added one cook.

"Aside from Chef Zeff, he's the best we've got," admitted another cook.

Zeff addressed Luffy not knowing that Sanji had returned and could hear everything they were saying through the door. "But that thick-skulled idiot wouldn't listen if we tried to reason with him. You were saying that you needed a cook, right? This isn't something I wanna be asking anyone but… would you mind taking that little brat along with you? Take him to Grand Line… that would be best for him. The Grand Line is his dream."

"Geez boss, you sure made us put on a hell of a show," commented Patty.

"I was afraid he was gonna figure it out 'cause of your bad acting!" Carne taunted Patty.

"Hahahaha! Come on! Your acting was way worse than mine!" retorted Patty.

Sanji leaned against the door and slid down so he was sitting on the deck, he pulled out his lighter and lit up a cigarette. "I can hear everything… you dumb asses…"

**---x---**

**Member Number Five**

**---x---**

"So what do you say kid? Will you take Sanji with you?" requested Zeff.

"No."

"WHAAAAATTT!" shouted the cooks in shock.

"But earlier you mentioned that you needed a cook for your ship," Zeff reminded him. "Just what are you trying to say? That he's suddenly not good enough for ya?"

"No, he's good," Luffy replied as he continued eating, "And I'd love it if he came with us. But is seems like he really wants to stay here with all of you guys. You can ask me all you want, but I'm not gonna take him."

"So you're saying that you can't agree to it unless he tells you himself, huh?" reasoned Zeff as he straightened his long mustache.

"That's right," answered Luffy before he held out his bowl, "More food please!"

"Well I suppose that's fair enough," said Zeff, "but who knows if that hard-headed little brat will ever agree to join up with you."

"Yeah, once that guy makes up his mind there's nothing anybody can do to change it," commented one of the other cooks.

Sanji continued sitting against the door smoking his cigarette as he thought about what he'd just heard. It was then that he spotted a fin rapidly approaching from the horizon. Sanji dropped his cigarette in shock as a black-and-white panda-shark with a man in its mouth leapt out of the water.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" screamed Yosaku who was stuck in the shark's mouth.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" shouted Sanji as he dodged the shark came crashing through the raining and slammed into him, knocking all three of them through the wall to the canteen, **KRASH!**

The chefs stared in shock at Sanji, the panda-shark, and the man in its mouth as the three of them laid sprawled out on the floor of the canteen. "Sanji, what is that?" wondered one of the cooks.

"Is it a fishman, did it come all the way from Fishman Island to eat here?" questioned another cook.

"It's a human and a panda-shark!" a third cook realized.

"Huh… OH! IT'S YOSAKU!" observed Luffy once he got a good look at the man in the shark's mouth.

"Oh hey… Brother Luffy…" groaned Yosaku.

"How come you're alone?" asked Luffy. "Where are the others? Did you find Nami?"

A few minutes later, the panda-shark was swimming away and Yosaku was wrapped in a towel to dry off after his 'swim'. "We never actually caught up to her," Yosaku told Luffy, "but judging from the direction Sister Nami was heading, Brother Ricky figured out where she's going…"

"I see, so we can get her back," said Luffy.

"Maybe," answered Yosaku, "Brother Ricky sent me to get you, he said to tell you: _"we might need your help"_."

"Okay," Luffy agreed, "I don't really get it, but I get it. Let's go."

Yosaku followed Luffy out of the canteen and passed Sanji who had just lit up another cigarette. "Wait," Sanji called after them, causing Luffy to stop, "Your dream is foolish, then again so is mine. Now is as good a time as any… why not start my quest right now?"

"Sanji?" questioned Luffy.

"I'll be joining your crew on your journey to be King of the Pirates," Sanji stated. Luffy turned and stared in shock. "You hear me? I wanna be the cook on your ship. What do you say?"

"YEAAAHH! OF COURSE!" agreed Luffy. Luffy and Yosaku grabbed each other by the shoulders and danced around in a circle chanting, "We got a cook! We got a cook! Now we'll get that tasty food! We got a cook! Super tasty awesome food!"

"You guys happy?" Sanji asked the cooks as he peered through the hole in the wall at the Baratie chefs. "Sorry, really… I'll leave now."

"Humph," grunted Patty, "I don't like it. To tell you the truth, I was hoping to give you the boot from this restaurant personally. But it seems that you don't have a problem with straight-up abandoning us."

"I'm especially sorry for making all of you resort to bad acting," Sanji quipped.

"HEY WAIT! HOW'D YOU KNOW!" demanded Patty.

"I heard everything," Sanji told him, "you bunch of jerks. Was stomping on my pride the best plan that you could come up with? You damn geezer."

"Every single thing has to be a fight with you!" Patty exclaimed, "Well I'm sick and tired of it! Bring it on!"

Zeff blocked Patty and cut him off, "I have never liked children," said Zeff. "As a matter of fact, I _hate_ children. There wasn't a day that passed when I didn't regret letting a useless little brat like you live, Sanji."

"Hah, fine by me you rotten old man!" Sanji snapped. "Enjoy the rest of your miserable life."

**---x---**

"Whoa! This is a nice ship!" exclaimed Yosaku as he and some of the Baratie cooks stood in front of a small boat with a sail on it. "Are you sure it's okay to use her?"

"Of course," replied one of the cooks. "it's Sanji's ship."

Inside the ship Luffy and another two cooks were loading meat into the refrigerator. "You _still_ need more?" questioned a cook.

"Yup! More meat!" requested Luffy as he held opened a large bag of meat products.

"How many days are you gonna be out at sea?" asked the other cook.

"I don't know," answered Luffy.

"**Kid," **came a new voice as Chef Zeff entered the boat and held out a book to Luffy, "Would you like this? It's my logbook, a detailed record of my one-year trip to the Grand Line." Zeff was offering the logbook that Krieg had threatened to kill him over to Luffy with no strings attached.

"No thanks," Luffy answered immediately.

"Ha-hah! I thought so!" laughed Zeff as he took his logbook and left the boat.

Luffy turned and pointed to something in the refrigerator, "Oh! I want more of that marbled meat!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH MEAT FOR YOU!" snapped the two cooks.

**---x---**

Up in his room Sanji had just finished packing his cooking knives and clothes and stared at a picture of a much younger version of him and Chef Zeff standing together in front of the Baratie.

"_It's the nicest Sea-Restaurant I've ever seen!" young Sanji exclaimed._

Sanji walked downstairs and took a last look at the kitchen and then sat down in one of the chairs in the empty dining room.

"_Hey Sanji, listen," said Zeff from Sanji's memories. "It doesn't matter what sort of person walks through our doors. If they're hungry, then they will be fed. Every starving wretch who comes to us will get a fine meal. We can make that happen. It doesn't matter how much we fight, because we share the same dream. Are you ready, coz we're gonna be busy!"_

"_Yeah, you bet!" answered Sanji, "It won't be a problem with me around!"_

Sanji looked a scar on his thumb and thought back to when he got it.

"_OW!"__Sanji whined as he cut his finger while peeling a potato. He sucked on his thumb and nursed the wound while Zeff inspected the peals and the amount of potato left on them._

"_Awful!" said Zeff, before he kicked Sanji on the head with his peg leg, __**THWAK!**__ "Is that what you call peeling?"_

"_That hurt you old fart!" cried Sanji, "I'm trying to cook here! Stay out of my way and we won't have any problems! Got it?"_

"_What! You'd better watch your mouth you little brat!" scolded Zeff._

"_I'm not a little brat!" snapped Sanji, "You crusty old bastard!"_

Up in his room Zeff laid on his bed and stared through the hole in the ceiling that Luffy had caused and recalled some of his own memories.

"_Here, try this," instructed Sanji as he presented Zeff with a bowl of soup._

"_Did you make it all by yourself?" asked Zeff._

"_Uh-huh!" Sanji answered with a smile. "How is it?"_

"_THIS IS THE WORST SOUP I'VE EVER HAD YOU LITTLE BRAT!"__** BONK! BONK! BONK!**__ Zeff repeatedly beat Sanji over the head with his obscenely large chef hat._

"_YOU MEAN OLD GEEZER!" Sanji complained._

**---x---**

"Brother Cook sure is taking his time," commented Yosaku as he, Luffy, and all the Baratie cooks waited out in front of the Baratie for Sanji.

"Yeah," replied Luffy. But just then Sanji came walking out of the restaurant carrying his case of cooking knives and a bag of clothes.

"**NOW IT'S PAYBACK TIME!"** came a loud shout from Patty as he and Carne lunged down at Sanji from the deck above him.

"HERE IT COMES SANJI!" yelled Carne, both of the cooks were wielding pans and were looking to beat Sanji for all the times that he'd bested them.

**Skish!** Sanji dodged both cooks and did a graceful backflip and landed on his hands, Sanji spun around on his hands and lashed out his legs, **THWAK! THWAK!** Sanji kicked both of the cooks in the head then picked up his stuff and kept walking without a word.

"Really guys… that was just dumb," scolded a cook as he and some of the other cooks stood over the now unconscious Patty and Carne.

The cooks all parted and made a path as Sanji walked passed them to his boat and finally reached it. "Let's get going," he told Luffy.

"You don't need to say goodbye?" asked Luffy.

"Nah, its fine," Sanji replied.

"**Sanji,"** came the voice of Chef Zeff, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Sanji couldn't help letting his tears fall. After all they'd been through together he was finally leaving. Chef Zeff had lost his leg saving him, he had given up his life as a pirate, and his dream so Sanji could live and pursue his. They had starved for weeks on that island and had opened the Baratie together. Zeff had taught him how to cook and made Sanji the man his was today. Now after ten long years he was finally setting off to chase his dream.

"CHEEEF ZEEEEFFFFFF!" cried out Sanji as he knelt on the deck of the Baratie and bowed before the man who had done so much for him. "Thanks you geezer, I'll never forget your kindness! I owe my life to you old man, so thank you!"

Sanji continued to cry as his head rested on the deck of the Baratie, he was moving on with his life. He was going on to better things. He had grown up so much in the ten years he'd lived on the Baratie and now he was finally moving on. Zeff smiled and couldn't help letting loose a few tears of his own, happy to see the brat leaving to pursue his dream.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" sobbed Patty, as he and Carne woke up and started crying too, "I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH!"

"ME TOO!" cried Carne. The other cooks were all crying too just from witnessing the moving moment.

"Damn babies…" said Zeff as he wiped his eyes with his arm, "Real men should part without a word..."

"LET'S GOOOOO!" shouted Luffy after everyone's tears had dried and Sanji had finally boarded the boat. "LET'S SET SAIL!" The boat pulled away while Sanji called out to the cooks.

"I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOME DAY!" called out Sanji as he waved goodbye to the cooks that had become his family over the years.

"Bye Sanji!"/"We're gonna miss you!"/"Come back and see us!"

Zeff smiled as he watched Sanji sail off with Luffy, _"As long as you sail with enough faith in yourself, that you have no fear… even of death… you will find the All Blue. I'm sure of it."_

As the boat disappeared over the horizon Zeff addressed the cooks, "ALRIGHT MEN, CUSTOMERS WILL BE HERE SOON! GET TO WORK ALREADY!"

Luffy finally convinced Sanji to join his crew and now he has a cook. Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku sailed off after Nami, Ricky, Zoro, Usopp, and Johnny unaware of the peril that awaited them. They were sailing towards an evil even greater and even stronger than Don Krieg, they were heading for an evil… from the Grand Line.

**---x---**

"So Ricky," said Usopp as he, Ricky, Zoro, and Johnny continued sailing after Nami. "You looked worried when you sent Yosaku to get Luffy… where's Nami going?"

Ricky took a deep breath and turned to face Usopp, he was still wearing Yosaku's green coat and had a grim expression on his face, "Ever heard of Arlong Park?"

**---x---**

AND THAT'S IT! The Baratie Arc is officially over! I apologize for skipping the fights. Sanji has one of the coolest fighting styles that I've ever seen and I was upset to skip over his fight with Gin, but there was no point in me just retyping something that would be much better if you read the manga or watched the anime.

Now that the Baratie Arc is over, it's time to move on to the Arlong Park Arc. It will be shown in its entirety with some major changes circulating around Ricky, which really is what this story is about.

Next chapter, Ricky, Zoro, Usopp, and Johnny finally reach Arlong Park.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	29. Chapter 28

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:**A bit of a warning. The chapters in this arc are going to be longer than normal. This chapter is one of the short one's and is around six thousand words. However, of what I have so far, the others average eight thousand. I hope the prospect of longer chapters doesn't put anyone off of the story. And now… ON WITH THE SHOW!

**Arlong Park:**

**---x---**

Luffy finally convinced Sanji to join his pirate crew. Now, Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku are looking to catch up with Ricky, Zoro, Usopp, Johnny, and possibly Nami. Currently the trio is sailing in clear weather. All is peaceful, with the one exception being Yosaku's crying. Yosaku had originally gone with Ricky and the others, but had come back in the mouth of a giant shark seconds before Sanji finally agreed to join Luffy's crew.

"How long are you gonna keep crying?" questioned Luffy as he glanced at the sobbing bounty hunter, "You should be happy."

"But it was very moving," Yosaku sobbed, he was wearing a black t-shirt, red headgear, and yellow shorts. Ricky still had his long green coat due to all of his other clothing being on the Going Merry when Nami stole it "…departing from all of those cooks."

"Can you even see to steer this thing?" asked Sanji, wondering if it was the best idea to have a crying bounty hunter, possibly blinded by tears, steering the ship.

"I can't wait to get Nami back and head to the Grand Line," Luffy said.

"Look, even if you get Nami back, there are still only six of us," Sanji pointed out, "Do you really plan to go to the Grand Line with such a small crew? The sea doesn't give many second chances."

"I'll gather more crew men after we reach the Grand Line," Luffy replied, "After all, it's a paradise."

"Paradise?" repeated Sanji, "It's a pirate's graveyard!"

"That's not what that chef told me," said Luffy, "Before we left he said that for some people the Grand Line is a '_paradise_'. And Ricky told me that the majority of his time in the Grand Line was the time of his life."

"The old geezer said that?" asked Sanji, before getting a dreamy look on his face, "Well if Miss. Nami was with me, I wouldn't care if it was just the two of us."

"YOU'RE TAKING THIS TOO LIGHTLY BROTHERS!" Yosaku suddenly shouted. "You don't know what the Grand Line is like! Even Brother Zoro would be intimidated. The place Sister Nami is heading is very dangerous. Brother Ricky told me where Nami was heading… you can't take this lightly!"

"Let's eat," decided Luffy.

"Alright," Sanji instantly agreed.

"WAIT!" yelled Yosaku, "YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE SAILING INTO! There's a reason why the Grand Line is called the Pirate's Graveyard! There are three main powers that rule those waters, one of those powers is the Seven Warlords of the Sea …"

"The who?" asked Luffy.

"They are seven people who had been allowed by the Marines to become Legal Pirates," Yosaku explained.

"Why would the government legalize pirates?" questioned Sanji.

"The Seven Warlords live in wild regions of the Grand Line so unlicensed pirates are easy targets for them. The Marines allow them to raid the seas in return for a cut of their haul. Other pirates call them '_Government Dogs_' but they're really strong. 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk, the guy who beat Brother Zoro, he's one of the seven."

"You mean there are six more like him!" asked Luffy, "They must be impressive!"

"The real problem is one of those seven," Yosaku continued, "Jinbei, Leader of the Fishman Pirates!"

"Fishman Pirates?" repeated Luffy in confusion, "I've never met one before."

"Fishmen?" questioned Sanji, "Fishman Island in the Grand Line is famous. I hear there are beautiful mermaids that live there!"

"In exchange for becoming one of the Seven Warlords, Jinbei released a monster into the East Blue."

"Did it look like this?" asked Luffy as he held up a picture of a badly drawn fish with little arms all over it.

"That's a fish, not a mermaid!" Sanji scolded him.

"STAY SERIOUS FOR ONE MINUTE!" Yosaku yelled, "PAY ATTENTION! Brother Ricky said that the place Sister Nami is heading for is called '_Arlong Park_'. Arlong is a fishman who was once Jinbei's equal in power. Arlong Park is his territory. Compared to him, Don Krieg is just a pussycat!"

"But how did One-Eye know where Miss. Nami was going?" asked Sanji, "I wouldn't be surprised if he was wrong."

"Brother Ricky all but guaranteed us that was where she was headed," Yosaku answered.

"How about this?" asked Luffy as he held up a new drawing of a fishman. This one looked just like the other fish, only it was positioned differently. It was standing on two tiny arms and had another two tiny arms coming out its sides. It once again became abundantly clear that Luffy couldn't draw to save his life.

"That's just a standing version of the first one!" Sanji snapped, before laying back and once again putting a dreamy look on his face. "I wonder what business Miss. Nami has with him. Maybe she's a mermaid, she's pretty enough to be one!"

"Like this?" asked Luffy as he held up the same picture, only it had eyelashes and 'Nami' written over the top.

"I'LL MURDER YA!" Sanji yelled as he glared at Luffy.

"Don't you understand anything I've just said!" Yosaku demanded.

"Sure," answered Sanji, "There's this really strong, evil fishman."

"You don't get it!" exclaimed Yosaku, "His strength is unimaginable!"

"We'll see when we get there," Luffy resolved.

"Yeah, don't worry, Yosaku," said Sanji.

"Maybe I shouldn't have wasted my breath on that story," Yosaku groaned.

"Anyway," said Sanji as he got to his feet, "Let's eat. What do you guys want?"

"Meat on a bone, please!" Luffy requested.

"I want stir-fried bean sprouts!" called out Yosaku.

"It sure is nice to have a cook," Luffy commented.

"I'd rather cook for Miss. Nami then you two," muttered Sanji.

"Are those bean sprouts ready?" asked Yosaku.

**---x---**

The Going Merry rode the waves towards the approaching Commi Island. The breeze blew through Nami's orange hair as she leaned against the railing of the caravel. She had changed into a sleeveless green shirt that was decorated with darker green dots, and a pair of tight black shorts that went down to her knees.

"I can hardly believe it," Nami said to herself, "There it is… my home town…" Nami stared out at the approaching island. But something didn't seem right, there was a large building towering over everything else on the island. That building was Arlong Park.

**---x---**

In the North-Western part of the East Blue, the flag for Arlong's Fishman Pirates was flying up above Arlong Park. The flag was black and somewhat resembled a skull and crossbones. The two bones seemed normal, but the skull was more of a red shark's skull at a profile view. Arlong Park was a large building that was eight stories tall and had a waterway leading into it, the structure was close to the shore to show everyone that Arlong and his fishman pirates weren't afraid of the law.

"This is the money for the month, take it," instructed Arlong as he placed a wad of bills on a table in front of him. Arlong was a tall fishman who stood over twelve feet tall and had blue skin, a foot-long jagged nose, sharp, pointed shark-like teeth, and long black hair. He was a fishman and had gills on his neck, webbed fingers, webbed toes, and a dorsal fin protruding from the back of his neck. He was wearing a short sleeved yellow and black party shirt, green shorts that ended above his knees, sandals, and a fuzzy hat with flaps that were currently pinned up. Arlong wore a pair of rings on his left hand and a gold chain around his left wrist to display his wealth. On Arlong's left forearm was the red skull from the pirate flag, and finally, on Arlong's left pectoral muscle was a large red sun tattoo.

"Hyk hyk hyk, you really know how the world works," chuckled the rat-like Marine Captain Nezumi of Base 16, "many thanks." Captain Nezumi had mouse-like whiskers along his nose and had the beady eyes of rodent. He wore a long gray marine coat with a white hood that had mouse ears on the top. The dirty marine took his bribe and quickly pocketed it. Since he was paying off the marine captain in the area, Arlong didn't have to worry about the la, and could do whatever he wanted.

"Shahaha! Don't be so formal," laughed 'Saw-Tooth' Arlong, Leader of the Arlong Fishman Pirates as he sat on his throne. "Money makes the world go round! Money is good, it's the only thing you can really count on."

"You're absolutely right," agreed Nezumi, his three marine escorts stood at attention behind him.

"I normally don't like human males, but you're alright," commented Arlong, "You and I speak the same language."

"Well that concludes our business," Nezumi announced as he got to his feet, "I must be going. It would look bad for a marine ship to be anchored here."

"Why don't you stay and have a drink," Arlong offered, "Live a little. If anyone squeals on you, I'll gut them."

"No really, I must excuse myself," Nezumi insisted as he and his marine escorts headed off.

"The Captain is leaving!" Arlong yelled out, "Someone tow him to his ship!"

"Aye-aye sir!" came the reply of Hatchan (Hachi) Arlong's First Mate. Hachi was a pink-skinned octopus fishman with six muscular arms with octopus-like suction cups on them. He had gray hair styled in five pointy spikes and had a horn-shaped mouth. Hachi was wearing an orange and red striped one-piece outfit that went down to his knees and had a fluffy orange collar, a blue sash was tied around his waist and on Hachi's two webbed feet were a pair of sandals. Adorning Hachi's forehead was the same sun-shaped tattoo that Arlong had on his chest. Hachi smiled and waved at Nezumi, "Get in the pot and I'll take you!"

"Why, thank you," said Nezumi.

"**Nyu! **Every time I see your face it makes me wanna laugh," Hachi blurted out. "It makes you look like a rat."

"Hachi, watch your mouth!" Arlong scolded him. "The Captain's our honored guest."

"Oh sorry," Hachi apologized as he pulled a large brown pot over to the marines, it bobbed up and down in the Arlong Park waterway. "Anyhow, get in."

"Sorry Captain," Arlong called over to Nezumi, "That one's got a big mouth."

"Hyk hyk hyk, no harm done," chuckled Nezumi as he uneasily got into the large brown pot that, the three marines that had come with the captain climbed in the pot after their captain. Hachi quickly dropped into the water and harnessed himself onto the pot, then began swimming and towed the four marines off towards their ship.

"_Those fishmen are disgusting!"_ Nezumi thought to himself, but then he smiled as he had another thought,_ "But at least they pay a lot."_

**---x---**

Nami calmly walked towards the east entrance of Arlong Park carrying a bag over her shoulder, the road was lined with tall grass and large puddles.

"**Hey you, get out of my way!" **came a loud shout as a boy with short wearing a green cap, an orange hooded sweatshirt, a pair of gray plaid shorts, and a black lace-less boots, ran up behind her carrying a sword. "Arlong's gonna die today! He murdered my father so I'm gonna kill him! Move or I'll kill you too!"

Nami stared down at the boy for a moment, then quickly reached into the front of her shirt and – thanks to Anime Law 37 – pulled out the three parts of her bow staff. **WOMP! **Nami whacked the boy upside the head with her staff and knocked him to the ground, the boy's sword went flying.

"Arlong doesn't have time to deal with whimpering punks like you!" snapped Nami in a cold voice as she quickly put her bow staff away. "Go home!" **FWIP!** Nami casually tossed a wad of bills onto the ground next to the quivering boy. "Take that too and use it to keep yourself out of trouble." With that, Nami walked into Arlong Park.

"You witch…" groaned the boy from the ground where Nami had left him.

**---x---**

"Nami you're back, it's been a long time," Arlong greeted Nami as she came through the double doors and entered Arlong Park. "How'd you do this time?"

"Better than I thought I would, these pirates I turned on were a big help," answered Nami, "But I feel a strange emptiness in my heart."

"Emptiness?" repeated Arlong, "You've been reading that _'human poetry'_ crap again. Don't get soft on me. Betrayal is your specialty."

"You think so?" questioned Nami.

"Nami's finally returned!" exclaimed Arlong, "Prepare a feast! LET'S PARTY!"

"HOORAY!" cheered the Arlong Pirates as they jumped into the waterway and began celebrating, one of their own had returned. This was clear due to the now exposed tattoo on Nami's left shoulder, it was the same red mark on Arlong's forearm, she had been a part of Arlong's crew all along.

**---x---**

Outside Arlong Park a small boat with a single sail approached on the horizon.

"There it is, Arlong Park," Ricky announced in his usual calm, indifferent tone.

"T-that's the place?" stuttered Johnny in fear.

"Nami's in there!" exclaimed Usopp in pure horror.

**---x---**

**The Great Adventure of Usopp**

**---x---**

"We made it," Ricky calmly stated as the boat approached Arlong Park. Johnny and Usopp were peering over the railing of the ship in fear while Zoro, who was wearing a shirt made out of large amount of white bandages and his usual black pants and green sash, sat against the front of the boat holding his sword.

"This is Arlong Park?" questioned Usopp. "_This_ is the hideout of the fearsome Fishman Pirate Arlong from the Grand Line!"

"Umhmm," Ricky replied with a simple nod.

"Sister Nami came here on the Going Merry," Johnny reminded them, "so before we do anything stupid we try to find it."

"Who put you in charge?" asked Ricky. He paused for a moment to pull up the hood on Yosaku's long green coat, then addressed the others. "I'm going in."

"Alright," agreed Zoro as he got up and stood beside Ricky.

"BUT I JUST SAID WE SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!" yelled Johnny while he and Usopp stared bug-eyed at the two pirates who seemingly had a death wish.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" screamed an even more frightened Usopp. "WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE!"

"What are we going to do?" Zoro asked Ricky, ignoring their two terrified companions, "Hack our way in?"

"I was thinking of something a little more subtle," Ricky answered.

"BUT THESE GUYS ARE FISHMEN!" Johnny shrieked. "YOU CAN'T JUST BARGE IN THERE!"

"Sorry guys," Ricky apologized with a half-hearted shrug, "I made an oath that I'd get Nami back. We'll have to deal with Arlong sooner or later, so I pick sooner."

"What are you going to do when you get in there?" questioned Usopp, while he discretely slid a pair of hammers out of his bag. He quickly handed one off to Johnny while they stood behind their two determined companions. "You can't take on Arlong and his fishmen pirates by yourself! I know you want to get Nami back, but you need to be reasonable!"

"I'll have Zoro with me, that's all the back up I need," Ricky reasoned as he and Zoro turned their backs on Usopp and Nami and stared at their intended distiation, "We go in, get Nami, and leave when Luffy gets here. See, reasonable."

**WHOMP! WHOMP!** The two cowards used their hammers and hit Ricky and Zoro over the head from behind. They were both caught off guard and were knocked out cold. **THUD! THUD!** Ricky and Zoro hit the deck unconscious and Johnny and Usopp quickly tied their impulsive crewmates to the ship.

**---x---**

"Ah-ha! There it is!" exclaimed Usopp as he stared through a pair of binoculars. "I've found the Going Merry!" True to his word, the familiar caravel was anchored at a dock outside Cocoyashi Village.

"Then Sister Nami must be on the island," Johnny realized, "We just need to find her and avoid the mermen."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" demanded Zoro, he and Ricky had been tied to the ship with a large amount of rope. The one-eyed pirate next to Zoro was still unconscious with a big lump on his head.

Johnny unrolled a map and traced their path with his finger to show Usopp where they were. "Arlong Park is east of here so we must be outside of Cocoyashi Village. But it's strange… why would she have tied it so far from the village?"

"UNTIE ME DAMN IT!" Zoro shouted.

"Calm down, you'll reopen your wounds!" Usopp scolded him, he approached Zoro and patted him on the chest where he'd recently been sliced opened by the World's Greatest Swordsman.

"Ung…" Zoro grunted as Usopp patted his still tender wound.

"You're too injured to be of any help," Usopp told him. "Leave everything to me, you can help next time."

"_One of these days I'm gonna skewer him like a piece of meat," _Zoro thought to himself as he glared at the long-nosed marksman in front of him.

"Don't worry, I'll bring the girl back safely," Usopp boasted with a loud laugh, "AHAHAHAHA!"

"You sure got brave when you found out she wasn't at Arlong Park," Johnny commented.

"Prepare the anchor," Usopp ordered, "bring us alongside the Going Merry!"

"Aye!" Johnny agreed as he ran to the back of the boat and turned the rudder to steer them towards the anchored ship.

"Ahahaha," Usopp laughed to himself, "Now that we're underway, its time to give a name to this voyage. I think I shall call it, 'the Great Adventure of Captain Usopp'!"

But that was when Usopp noticed three people on the dock, but they weren't people… they were fishmen.

"Yipe!" exclaimed Usopp as he dove for cover so the fishmen wouldn't see him.

"What'd you see?" asked Johnny as he crawled over to Usopp and looked over his shoulder.

"F-fishmen!" stammered both Johnny and Usopp at the same time, they seemed terrified.

"Full speed ahead," Usopp whispered.

"Aye," Johnny agreed whole-heartedly, as they quickly sailed their ship passed the dock, passed the Going Merry, and most importantly, passed the fishmen.

"Why didn't we just dock right there!" demanded Zoro as he glared at his two conscious companions then cast a quick glance at the still unconscious pirate next to him.

"Shh!" hissed Usopp and Johnny.

"Didn't you see that!" snapped Usopp, "There were three fishmen over there! It's Arlong's Crew, we can't stop, right now!"

**THWAK!** Zoro lashed out his legs which hadn't been tied and drove them into Usopp's face, "Do not… yell at me!" growled Zoro.

"This is bad," realized Johnny, "if there are fishmen here, then this entire island must be under Arlong's control. So what do we do Brother Usopp?"

"We could just say we couldn't find her," Usopp suggested.

"UNTIE ME NOW, MORONS!" Zoro yelled.

"Hmm… whose ship is that?" wondered one of the three fishmen, who had finally noticed the ship.

"I've never seen it before," commented another fishman, "It looks suspicious." **SPLASH!** He and the first fishmen dove into the water and swam towards the ship. The third fishman, who was fat and pink stayed where he was.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" screamed Johnny and Usopp as he hugged each other out of sheer terror.

"UNTIE ME!" shouted Zoro.

"**Ung… what's all the screaming about?" **Ricky groaned as he finally woke up.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU WOKE UP!" Zoro snapped.

"WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY FISHMEN!" screamed Johnny.

**Blub…blub…** The two fishmen used the webbed appendages to shoot through the water and were quickly approaching the ship.

"ABANDON SHIP!" shrieked Usopp, as he and Johnny dove off the other side of the boat. **SPLA-SPLASH! **The two of them swam off and fast as they could, hoping to escape the fishmen.

"And this is why we don't let Usopp run things," Ricky dryly remarked, "Just stay calm and let me do the talking."

**SPLISH! TMP!** **"Caught 'em,"** announced one of the fishmen as they landed on the boat. He was the larger of the two fishmen and had blue skin and a large round jaw. He had black hair and a fin on the back of his head. He was wearing a pink and red party shirt.

"What happened to you guys?" wondered the second fishman, he had brown skin and short black hair, and like his partner had a fin on the back of his head. He was the thinner of the two and was wearing a pale yellow and blue party shirt.

"Uh… we got lost," offered Ricky. "Our idiot partners tied us up and abandoned us. Where are we and what has them so worked up?"

"You poor suckers are in the water outside Arlong Park," answered the first fishman with a smug grin.

Ricky's eye widened in 'surprise', "Not Arlong Park!" he repeated. "Whatever you do… **don't** take us to Arlong… he'd kill us…"

"Hahaha! Let's take them to Arlong," laughed the second fishman. They quickly took control of the ship and turned it around so it was sailing towards Arlong Park.

At Zoro's confused look Ricky smiled and whispered, "Reverse psychology, works every time."

**---x---**

"Forgive us guys," Usopp apologized as he and Johnny bobbed up and down in the water and watched the boat sail off, "I'll tell Luffy you died bravely."

"Please forgive me brothers," Johnny said. "I'll never forget you."

"Let's get up on shore," Usopp suggested, now that the fishmen were gone it couldn't be safer… right?

"Right," Johnny agreed as the two of them swam to the shore and quickly pulled themselves out of the water.

"The map said this place is called Gosa Village," Johnny informed Usopp before they looked up at the village.

**DOOOM!**

"Gaaaahh!" Johnny and Usopp gasped as they stared at the village. THE HOUSES WERE ALL UPSIDE DOWN! The entire village was empty and every single building was turned upside down and was lying on its roof. Down the street of the village was deep trench, it looked like something huge and strong had made it.

"What happened?" wondered Usopp.

"I read that Arlong attacked this place a few days back," Johnny informed him.

"Everything's upside down!" Usopp observed.

"I've heard that fishmen are ten times stronger than," Johnny said cryptically. "This is the kind of power in the Grand Line, and this is the fate of a village that defied Arlong."

**Tmp… Tmp… Tmp**…Wet footsteps approached Johnny and Usopp from behind, the bounty hunter looked over his shoulder and gasped, then turned and ran in between two of the upside-down houses. Usopp was too distracted by the damage done by the fishmen to notice the figure approaching behind him.

"But how did the road turn out this way?" Usopp wondered as he stared at the large trench in the middle of the road"

"**The monster Mohmoo did this,"** the blue fishman that had apparently left his partners to take Ricky and Zoro to Arlong Park while he rounded up the others. **Drip… drip…** The fishman was dripping wet, having just gotten out of the water.

"Monster?" repeated Usopp without looking at who he was talking to. "Don't tell me they've got a monster too!"

"We caught him out on the Grand Line and brought him here with us," the fishman explained as he towered over Usopp.

"The Grand Line, huh?" Usopp commented, but then he sweat-dropped. "Wait… '_**WE'**_?" Usopp slowly turned around and saw the fat fishman standing behind him, he shrieked in terror, "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"You must be the partner of those abandoned guys on the boat!" the fishman realized as he reached out to grab Usopp.

**SWIPE! **"AAAAHHHH!" Usopp ducked under the fishman's arms then turned and ran away as fast as he could. **TMP!TMP!TMP!** "LATER!"

"COME BACK HERE!" shouted the fishman as he chased after Usopp.

"NO WAY!" Usopp shouted back.

Meanwhile, Johnny was leaning against the wall of an upside-down house, thankfully out of sight of any fishmen. "That was close," Johnny sighed in relief, "Good luck Brother Usopp, I'll wait here for Yosaku and Brother Luffy."

**---x---**

"Ahahahaha! You may be a fishman but there's no way you can catch me on dry land!" Usopp called out over his shoulder as he continued to run from the fishman, he was starting to put some serious distance between them. "AHAHAHAHA! I'm great at making a quick exit! AHAHAHAHA!"

What Usopp didn't notice was a familiar boy (the same boy from earlier) stepping out from behind a house. Usopp was busy taunting the fishman so he wasn't looking where he was going. He never saw the boy stick his leg out in front of him. **FWUMP!** Usopp tripped and fell flat on his face. "UNG!" Usopp groaned as he hit the ground face-first. "WHAT THE HE—"

"Got you fishman!" exclaimed the boy as he raised the sword over his head. "I'll kill you to avenge my father!" The boy lunged at Usopp with his sword poised for an attack, Usopp cringed from the ground.

**WOMP! **"**DON'T TOUCH THAT FISHMAN!**" The boy's attack never connected. A blue haired woman with an intricate tattoo on her left arm came from behind and hit the boy on the head.

"Chabo, have you forgotten?" scolded Nojiko, the blue haired woman. She wore a red ribbon to pull back her hair, ankle-length blue pants, sandals, and a sleeveless yellow shirt which showed the intricate tattoo on her right shoulder that went down to her elbow and across her chest onto her left shoulder. "Gosa was obliterated because someone went against the fishmen." Nojiko glanced at Usopp, who was relieved that he wasn't hit. "Look carefully," she instructed, "He may look like a fishman, but he's human… kind of…"

"KIND OF!" repeated Usopp as he shot up to his feet, and glared daggers and Nojiko and Chabo.

"**WHERE'D YOU GO!****?**" came the voice of the fishman who was still coming after Usopp.

"Here he comes!" Usopp exclaimed as he turned to face the fishman.

"A FISHMAN!" shouted Chabo, the boy that had mistaken Usopp for a fishman.

"This time it's a real fishman," Nojiko told him as the fishman turned and ran in between two houses in an attempt to find Usopp.

"Stay back," Usopp warned them as he got to his feet. Now that a woman and child were in danger, he was willing to face the fishman to protect them. "I, Captain Usopp, will protect you! I won't let him harm a woman and a kid! I can't just run away now!" Usopp waited for the fishman to come back out from the houses then pulled back his slingshot. "Take this! LEAD STA—"

**BONK! **Instead of Usopp firing of his slingshot Nojiko hit him over the head with his own hammer, knocking him out.

"I guess he wasn't listening when I said not to mess with the fishmen," Nojiko muttered as she grabbed Usopp's ankles, "Let's get him out of here." **SWISH!SWISH! **Nojiko and Chabo quickly dragged Usopp off of the road and behind an upside-down house.

With Usopp safely hidden, Nojiko came out and screamed to get the fishman's attention, "AAAAHHH!"

"What's wrong!" asked the fishman.

"There's a creepy guy with a long nose!" Nojiko exclaimed.

"Which way did he go?" questioned the fishman. He was looking for a creepy looking human with a long nose.

"That way," Nojiko answered as she pointed in the opposite direction from where she had hidden Usopp.

"That way, huh?" said the fishman as he ran off in the direction Nojiko had pointed.

Once the fishman was gone, Nojiko went back to Chabo and Usopp, "Hurry, bring him to my place," instructed Nojiko.

**---x---**

When Usopp woke up he found himself in a strange one-room house surrounded by a tangerine grove on the outskirts of Cocoyashi Village. "Where am I?" Usopp wondered. He spotted Nojiko and Chabo sitting at a table nearby.

"Oh, you're awake," observed Nojiko, "You're in my house."

"Your… who are you?" asked Usopp as he sat at the table in a chair next to Nojiko.

"I'm Nojiko," Nojiko introduced herself, "I grow tangerines. Want one?"

"Uhh… hey wait! You hit me!" Usopp suddenly realized. "Why'd you protect that fishman? I was trying to save you!"

"No, _I_ saved _you_," Nojiko corrected him, "If you had gone through with hitting that fishman, you'd have been killed for sure, stupid outsider."

Nojiko then turned her attention to Chabo who was angrily sitting on a chair on the other side of the table, "You'd figure a kid from here would already know better. What would make a child do something so reckless?"

"I know, I know," Chabo admitted, "But they killed my father, they took everything from me. Those fishmen destroyed my town and killed my friends. I had to make them pay no matter what. Don't you get that? So I went to Arlong Park by myself, but this witch stopped me going in! I CAN'T STAND THIS! I HAVE TO AVENGE MY FATHER! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE!"

"Then die," Nojiko stated. **PFFFFFTTTT! **Usopp was so surprised he spat out the tea he had been drinking.

"If you truly prepared to die, then go," Nojiko told the boy, "But you'd better remember, both I and that witch stopped you. So far you've cheated death twice. Just finish your tea and go."

"Hey, don't be too hard on him! He's just a kid!" Usopp defended the boy.

"I don't care who he is," Nojiko argued as she got up from the table and walked off, "If he wants to kill himself, then so be it. He doesn't have what it takes to suffer for revenge."

"What?" questioned Usopp.

"It takes time," Nojiko explained, "I suffer as well. Revenge is not an easy path for one to carve out. And to die just because you're too foolish for patience is nothing but a coward's plan."

By now, Chabo was crying, tears were streaming down the boy's face. "Wh-what do you want from me! I can't stand the way I feel but I don't know what else I can do."

"Got a mother?' Nojiko asked.

"She's alive," answered Chabo.

"Then go back home," Nojiko advised. "She's worried about you."

"Okay," replied Chabo, he finished his tea and eventually left. Nojiko watched him walk through the tangerine grove from the window.

"Ahahaha," Usopp laughed, "for a chick with tattoos, you're not so bad."

"Why should I care what you think?" asked Nojiko. "It's time you told me why you came to our village."

"Oh, right," agreed Usopp. "My name is Captain Usopp, I'm looking for a girl named Nami."

"Nami?" repeated Nojiko, sounding surprised.

"You know her?" asked Usopp.

"NO WAY! SHE'S WITH ARLONG'S CREW!" screamed Usopp, in a voice that carried out of the house, passed the tangerine groves, and over to a small grave that overlooked the ocean. It almost reached Arlong Park itself.

**---x---**

"Open the gates!" called out the brown fishman steering the boat Zoro and Ricky were still tied up in, "We've brought intruders!"

"What do we do?" Zoro whispered.

"First thing you need to know about fishmen is that they have huge egos," Ricky told him. "The next is they're very sensitive. You don't want to say anything to make a fishman like Arlong angry. Stay quiet, and let me do all the talking, just nod and go along whatever I say. And when we see Nami, don't act too surprised."

**---x---**

Next chapter Zoro and Ricky are going to meet up with Arlong and his crew, the self-proclaimed Lords of All Creation.

And yes, I said FISHmen, not MERmen.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	30. Chapter 29

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Lords of All Creation**

**---x---**

"NAMI'S A PART OF ARLONG'S CREW!" Usopp shouted in surprise.

"It sure looks that way," Nojiko replied. "Everyone knows about that witch, even the little boy. It gets better though, that witch… is my sister. We grew up here. Well… technically she's my adopted sister. We were both orphans." Nojiko walked over to a picture frame and picked it up, it showed a younger version of herself and Nami hugging a woman with purple hair. "But a sister's a sister, know what I mean?'

"I don't believe it," Usopp said mostly to himself as he looked around the one-room home, "this is _Nami's _house!"

"It's my house," Nojiko corrected him. "She's the closest thing I have left to family since our foster mother died. The three of us used to be so happy together in Cocoyashi Village."

Usopp stared down at the table and only just then noticed designs that were carved into the top of it. It looked like a map, something Nami would draw.

"You're telling me that Nami betrayed her sister, her mother, and her whole village just to be a part of Arlong's Crew?" summarized Usopp.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Nojiko. "I real witch huh?"

"Damn," cursed Usopp, "she had us completely fooled the entire time! And to think she was just after the treasure for herself. Even after she risked her life to save my village, I don't understand. She seemed so happy with us."

"Really, she was happy?" inquired Nojiko with a small smile, "Huh, my sister."

"We came here to try and convince her to come back with us," explained Usopp. "But I guess now that's pointless." Usopp's eyes suddenly went wide and his jaw dropped, "I just remembered! TWO OF MY NAKAMA WERE CAPTURED BY FISHMEN! I hope they're okay, I hope they're at least not dead."

**---x---**

"You mean this _isn't_ Loguetown?" questioned Ricky calmly, before turning to face Zoro. "I told you we were going the wrong way." Zoro and Ricky had been brought in front of Arlong. Zoro had his arms and legs tied and was sitting on the ground next to Ricky who was standing with his arms tied behind his back, the brown fishman that brought them in was standing behind Ricky to make sure he didn't try anything funny. The fat pink fishman was standing behind Zoro, who was doing as Ricky had instructed and was staying silent. Despite being in front of the feared Fishman Captain, Ricky didn't seem intimidated.

"Shahahahaha!" Arlong laughed. "You foolish humans! You should know better than to sail the waters without a chart or map!"

"That would've been helpful," Ricky agreed.

"Now, you humans have trespassed on my land," said Arlong. "Or more importantly, the water near the coast of my land. Are you trying to tell me that you're only here because you got lost? I don't believe it. There's a twenty million berri bounty on my head, are you sure you're not Bounty Hunters? It wouldn't be the first time humans have been sent to kill me."

"Bounty Hunters?" repeated Ricky as he shook his head. "I'm One Eye, and he's Blood Donor. He doesn't talk, so don't mind him." Zoro raised an eyebrow at his nickname but stayed silent as Ricky continued. "We're part of a small group of Treasure Hunters."

"Treasure Hunters, eh?" questioned Arlong.

"Yes, and we'd be willing to pay you a negotiated sum in you'd spare our lives," One Eye offered, he didn't seem the least bit afraid that he was surrounded by a crew of fishmen.

"Is that right?" asked Arlong. "SHAHAHAHAHA! You certainly know how the world works! I run this entire island and get monthly tributes from every town, one hundred thousand berries for every adult and fifty thousand per child."

"If you untie me I can see about paying you," One Eye told him. Arlong gave the fishman holding One Eye a nod and had him untie him. One Eye reached into his bottom left pants pocket and pulled out a sack then peered into it. "Catch," he called out as he tossed something green at Arlong. **Whap!** Arlong reached up and caught it in his hand.

Arlong glanced down at what One Eye had thrown… it was an emerald. It was about the size of a small strawberry and it appeared to be real. "That should cover it," One Eye said as he put his hands in his pockets. "It's 200,000 berries give or take a few. Cash it in anywhere or just keep it. I like gems, if you get the sunlight to filter through them at the right angle, they look really cool." Arlong didn't have to know that the emerald was really only worth 150,000 berries.

"You may have a point there," Arlong commented as he held the strawberry-sized emerald up to the sun and stared into it. "Where did you get a gem like this? It's pretty big."

"Have you ever heard of Buggy the Clown?" One Eye asked. "I know he's a human and probably beneath you, but he does have a 15,000,000 berri bounty, one of the highest in the East Blue other than yours."

"I might have heard a few things about him," replied Arlong. "I believe he ate one of those Devil Fruit. But I also heard from a source in the marines that he was defeated recently and that no one's seen him."

"Your source is correct," One Eye told him. "We were there in Orange Town when Buggy was defeated. Buggy's crew lost to this other pirate crew called the Straw Hats."

"Straw Hats?" repeated Arlong, "Never heard of them."

"You will," One Eye assured him with a faint smile. "They're a relatively new pirate crew but they've gotta be strong if they beat Buggy. I've heard rumors that they've recently beaten Don Krieg too. Anyway, while the two crews were fighting, we snuck in and liberated Buggy of his treasure. He had about ten million berries there."

"Using a battle as a distraction to steal treasure," commented Arlong, "clever… for a human. But since you paid, I'll spare the two of you."

"Actually…" One Eye cut in. "Our gang has two more people in it. They're here on the island somewhere. They realized where we were headed before I did and ditched us. Would I be able to pay you another two hundred thousand berries to not kill them?"

"_Would_ you be able to pay me?" repeated Arlong. "SHAHAHAHA! Of course you can pay me! But if one of your human partners gets killed while I'm unaware of it, I'll give you a refund."

"That's what I'm worried about," said One Eye. "The two other members of our group don't have a clue what's going on here. One of them is a long-nosed loudmouth, he's really fast and great at keeping guards busy. The other one is a really weak swordsman. He wears sunglasses and has a tattoo on his face. We use him so that he can be easily defeated by our enemies. Then they'll underestimate Blood Donor and me and we can easily catch them off guard and beat them."

"Hmm… clever," Arlong commented as Ricky fished some gold out of his treasure sack.

"I know that neither of them would be able to beat a fishman," One Eye admitted. "But if they're stupid enough to attack you, I was hoping you'd be willing to let them slide." One Eye calmly approached Arlong and showed him the gold coins he was holding then he placed them on the ground in front of the throne before taking a few steps back.

"Shahahaha!" Arlong chuckled as he picked up the coins. He counted them before he nodded and placed them on one of the arms of his throne. "You're right about that, human. No human could beat a fishman! We fishmen are evolved from humans, we're extremely resilient, ten-times as strong, we've developed the ability to breathe under water. Our Fishmen Powers make us a far superior species. A HUMAN GOING AGAINST A FISHMAN IS LIKE GOING AGAINST THE FORCES OF NATURE! WE'RE THE LORDS OF ALL CREATION!"

"I'll make a point not to get in your way," One Eye agreed, he kept his face blank, seemingly indifferent about the fact that a fishman was calling his species weak. There was a somewhat awkward pause for a moment, before Ricky shrugged and said, "So… can you fishmen hold your liquor? Blood Donor and I could at least try to out-drink you, since we _obviously_ can't beat you in a fight."

"SHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Arlong. "One Eye… you're alright…" Arlong quickly turned to his fishman crew, "Let's get some food and drinks for our guests! TIME FOR ANOTHER PARTY!"

**---x---**

About an hour later, Nami came out of Arlong Park and was greatly surprised by the scene that greeted her. Upbeat music was playing in the background and Ricky and Zoro were sitting at a table with Arlong and a bunch of other fishmen. Everyone at the table was in high spirits and all of them looked a bit drunk. Ricky was sitting across from Arlong wearing a long green coat and his usual black cargo pants and boots, the two of them were talking like old friends. Zoro was off to the side wearing a shirt made out of bandages and drinking with a bunch of other fishmen.

**FWUMP! **The fishman that Blood Donor had been attempting to out-drink passed out. "You know, you remind me of this shark I met in the Grand Line," One Eye said as stared at Arlong with thinly veiled interest.

"Is that right?" asked Arlong. "If there's a story involved, do tell."

"Alright," agreed Ricky with an indifferent shrug. "This was about two years ago, my older brother and I were sailing on this raft-like boat when a shark came up. The two of us were completely wasted so I came up with the idea that it'd be fun to ride a shark." The fishmen, Blood Donor, and Nami all quieted and listened to One Eye. "I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't one of my better ideas. When the shark noticed I was on its back, it started thrashing around and dove into the water. I was clinging it its tail while my brother shouting at me to 'let go' every time I came back up to the surface. I called back, _'Are you nuts? There's teeth in the other end!'_" Arlong and a few of the fishmen let out a chuckle. One Eye paused and took another large sip from the mug of grog he had in front of him.

"The shark was getting really mad and was doing barrel-rolls to get me off it," One Eye continued, he had everyone's attention. "In my drunken state I was half enjoying the ride and half scared for my life. Eventually I gave into the 'scared for my life' part and decided that I needed to do something if I wanted to avoid being eaten. I used the shark's dorsal fin to pull myself closer to its head and then…"

One Eye paused for a moment and smiled, "Well… what'd you do!" asked a white ray fishman, he had large fins on the back of his arms, black hair that was tied in a braid and went down to his waist, and was wearing dark blue gi and sandals. On his chest poking out from under the gi was the red sun tattoo that was on Arlong's chest. He was Kuroobi, one of Arlong's officers, and one of the few sober fishmen.

One Eye smiled, the fishmen were hanging on his every word, it was like he'd done this before. "Well… I reached out with one hand… and flicked it on the snout, then told it _'No'_."

The fishmen all burst out laughing but none were louder than Arlong, "SHAHAHAHA!" No one noticed Blood Donor chuckling along with the fishmen, the thought of a drunk human flicking a shark's snout was so stupid it was funny. Flicking a shark was a sure-fire way to get your hand bitten off.

Ricky grinned and leaned back while he waited for the fishmen to finish laughing, out of the corner of his eye he noticed the orange haired girl standing in the doorway behind Arlong's throne. She didn't seem nearly as amused as the fishmen did. When the laughing subsided, Ricky sat up and continued.

"After I flicked it, the shark – and my brother for that matter – was so shocked that I had done something so stupid, I managed to dive off and was halfway to be boat before _either_ of them noticed. The shark eventually regained its composure and raced after me, I might be a decent swimmer by human standards but I can't out-swim a shark, especially when I'm drunk. It was right behind me and I knew I had to do something or I'd end up as dinner so I came up with another_ brilliant_ idea."

One Eye stopped for a moment and finished off the grog he had in his mug. "Well, what did you do!" asked Hachi, he wasn't drunk but was really into the story and was leaning over in anticipation.

"That's good stuff, you get that imported from the North Blue?" inquired One Eye.

"One Eye, nothing personal," said Arlong, "but if you don't finish your story, I'll gut you. Again though, nothing personal."

"Sorry," One Eye apologized, "Grog from the North Blue's my favorite. Anyway…I kept swimming but now the shark was right behind me. I enacted my _brilliant _plan and launched myself out of the water, drove my feet down into the shark's snout, and pushed off. I went flying and crashed down onto the boat. The shark was surprised that I had once again hit it on the nose and just floated there for a few seconds in complete shock. Even though I was wasted, I'll never forget the indignant expression on its face. The shark swam up to the boat… and it _glared_ at me."

"SHAHAHAHA!" Arlong and his crew laughed, while fishmen might have had fish-like faces and were able to show emotion, it wasn't so common for a regular shark to do the same. The fishmen and Blood Donor all laughed as they pictured the shocked then angry expression on the shark's face.

One Eye smiled and continued, "I managed to stop laughing at one point and told the shark, _'Go away!'_" Again the fishmen laughed at the though of a drunk human telling an angry shark attempting to eat him to 'go away', especially after what he had already done.

The 'drunk human' in question didn't appear all that drunk and was merely surveying Arlong's crew that was getting drunker by the minute. He noticed three 'officers' of sorts weren't partaking in the festivities and were probably staying sober to protect their leader if the humans tried anything funny. The first was Kuroobi, the white ray fishman, the second was Hachi, the pink octopus fishman, and the third was a pale blue archer fish fishman. The laughter eventually faded and Arlong motioned for One Eye to continue.

"The shark was really pissed that a stupid human like me had not only escape but humiliated it as well. It ended up following me from island-to-island for almost a year. I named it 'Shane'." The fishmen all laughed at the stupid name the human had given 'Shane the shark'. "_Shane_ couldn't believe that someone was stupid enough to flick it on the nose and it became his mission in life to eat me. Since I'm still here you can obviously guess how that worked out. I managed to… ditch him… about a year back and I haven't… seen him since…"

"SHAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong and his fishman crew all laughed and applauded One Eye's story, only Blood Donor and Nami seemed to notice the frown on Ricky's face. He stared solemnly at the table in front of him while the drunken fishmen all laughed around him.

"One Eye," said Arlong, getting the treasure hunter's attention, "I've said it before, I'll say it again… you're alright. Anyone, fishman or not, who has that balls to flick a shark is alright in my book. You and your little gang can stay here as long as you like. Just keep out of my treasure hold."

"So you fishmen _do_ have balls," One Eye replied, his frown faded and was replaced by a small smile. "I've wondered about that but now I'm buzzed enough to question it."

"We fishmen are the next step in the evolutionary ladder after you humans," Arlong explained. "We're more resilient, stronger, and we can breathe under water and swim better. We may be more closely related to humans than fish, but we're far superior." One Eye decided not to mention that he'd basically already said that.

Blood Donor and his new fishman friends continued their drinking contest now that One Eye's story about his drunken escapade was over. **FWUMP! **One of the fishmen almost immediately passed out.

"_But apparently they're not as superior when it comes to drinking,"_ Ricky thought to himself as he glanced at all the fishmen that Zoro had drank under the table.

Nami stood in the doorway of Arlong Park and was left wondering how Ricky got so good at handling fishmen and how Zoro had the alcohol tolerance to out-drink five fishmen one after another.

**---x---**

**Know Thy Enemy:**

**---x---**

"Arlong, what's going on here?" asked Nami as she walked over and finally decided to finally make her presence known. She pretended not to know Ricky and Zoro. "Who're these guys?"

Zoro's eyes shot opened but remembered how Ricky had told him not to act to surprised when he saw Nami. He quickly recovered from his shock and remained silent. As far as he was concerned, this plan was alright. He had thought they were going to fight their way in but having a party where free booze was involved was fine with him. Ricky would explain everything when the party was over.

One Eye jumped up out of his seat and took Nami's hand, "'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire," One Eye 'introduced' himself to Nami and lightly kissed her hand. Nami was physically restraining from throttling Arlong's 'guest'.

"You're an amusing human… _Ricky_," commented Arlong, One Eye's eye widened, but then he remembered how he had introduced himself to Nami.

"As you can obviously tell, One Eye's just a nickname," Ricky the Treasure Hunter quickly explained, "I had two eyes when I was born, could you imagine if my mother had actually named me 'One Eye', 'Saw Tooth'?"

"I suppose that does sound rather silly," reasoned Arlong. "Then obviously Blood Donor's a nickname too."

"His real name's Rozo," One Eye quickly lied, "he's taken a vow of silence and never speaks. I've worked with him long enough to understand him regardless though. If it's not too much trouble, we prefer One Eye and Blood Donor." Arlong nodded in understanding.

"_Nice save,"_ Nami thought to herself.

"Now then," said One Eye, "who's this enchanting young woman, who's hand I've been holding for the last minute?" Nami quickly pulled her hand free.

"That's Nami," replied Arlong, "She's my Navigator and Cartographer. She's the pride of my crew, her sea charts are the best!"

"That's right," Nami continued for Arlong as she pointed to the exposed Arlong Tattoo on her shoulder. "This tattoo signifies that I'm a part of Arlong's Pirate Crew."

"I've seen that before," One Eye commented, "Any decent seafarer in the East Blue would recognize the mark of 'Saw Tooth' Arlong. It might not be as well known as the mark of the Sunny Pirates, but it's still famous." Nami stared at Ricky and managed to keep her face blank. That was how he knew where she was going. He recognized her tattoo from the time he had treated her injured shoulder after the fight with the Black Cat Pirates.

"You know Nami," said Arlong, "I originally thought I hated all humans but then I met you. You're like a spirited kitten. Then I thought, maybe I hated all human males but then I met One Eye, here. He's like a clever fox and is extremely entertaining."

Nami and One Eye shared a glance, "Spirited kitten?" repeated Nami.

"Clever fox?" questioned One Eye, he shrugged and smiled. "It must be our _charming_ personalities."

"You might have a point," agreed Arlong. "That blue haired sister of Nami's is… difficult to deal with." Ricky shrugged indifferently but made a mental note to remember that Nami had a sister with blue hair.

"Like fishmen, all humans are different," explained One Eye. "Now Arlong, would you mind if asked this lovely young woman to dance?"

"I don't see why not," agreed Arlong with a shrug.

"Nami, may I have this dance?" requested One Eye as he held out his hand.

Nami stared at him for a second and wondered what he was trying to do but then she realized that if she agreed, they'd be away from the fishmen and could have a private conversation. "Alright," Nami agreed, she took One Eye's hand and allowed him to lead her some distance away from Arlong.

"Hey Hachi!" Arlong called out to the eight limbed fishman who was playing a piano that had been brought out for the festivities. "Play something the humans can dance to!"

Hachi nodded and the music slowed down a bit. "Good enough," commented One Eye as he took one of Nami's hands in his while wrapping his other arm around her waist. One Eye held her close so their faces were next to each other and they started rocking and dancing something that looked like a tango, Arlong and a few fishmen watched from the table… conveniently out of hearing range.

"You shouldn't have followed me," Nami whispered.

Ricky dipped Nami then pulled her back up, "I told you we would," he quickly replied. "I take it you didn't have enough money when you finished counting it all."

"I didn't," Nami admitted, "But you need to get out of here. Arlong doesn't like outsiders."

"Arlong loves me," Ricky reminded her. "I'm a… _clever fox_. Don't worry, I've had dealings with fishmen in the past and I know which buttons to push. He said I could stay as long as I'd like."

Nami stayed quiet for a few seconds as they continued to dance, after Ricky dipped her a second time she spoke again. "You don't know what's going on here," said Nami. "Stay out of this. I don't know what you're planning… but I can't let you ruin eight years worth of work."

"You'd be surprised," Ricky replied. "I know as much as I need to. I'm just stalling until Luffy gets here. Then we'll get you back… by force if necessary."

Ricky spun Nami around again then pulled her to him. "You can't beat Arlong," Nami warned him. "Leave before you get killed. Forget about me, go on to the Grand Line and find that One Piece of yours."

Ricky gave Nami a look of the utmost seriousness, "The day I forget about you, is the day I give up Treasure Hunting," Hachi's song ended and One Eye led a shocked Nami back to Arlong.

"Arlong you've got yourself a prize surveyor here," One Eye told the fishman leader as he took his seat across the table. Nami sat down next to him so she could at least do some damage control. "Be careful, someone might try to steal her."

"Don't be silly," replied Arlong. "Someone would have to be incredibly stupid to try that!"

"Or incredibly determined," added One Eye calmly. "But determination is easily mistaken for stupidity." **THUNK!** Blood Donor had beaten another fishman. While One Eye and Nami had been dancing Blood Donor had bested another three, a pile was starting to form where all of them had passed out.

"You two are very amusing," Arlong told One Eye as he stared at the two humans across from him. "I've known Nami for eight years but you One Eye, I've only known for eighty minutes. But I must say, you two are by far my favorite humans."

"Thank you," replied One Eye as the pretended to take it as a compliment.

"You two seemed to be talking about quite a bit while you were dancing," Arlong commented. "Anything I should know about?"

"Yes, now that you mention it," One Eye admitted. "Nami seems to think Blood Donor and I are going to get killed if we keep getting lost like this. She doesn't approve of our lack of navigation skills. Stumbling across things isn't _all_ bad… I mean, we met you guys – and you wouldn't believe how much treasure we've gotten that way – but I don't think we can count on everyone being as great a host as you've been. Is there was a way I could purchase one of those amazing maps that Nami draws?"

"Hmm… " said Arlong as he thought it over. "I can't give away one of my prize maps but I supposed we could negotiate a price."

"That sounds fair," One Eye agreed. "Blood Donor and I have plenty of treasure hidden away on the ship we came here on."

"Be sure to let me see some of that before you leave," instructed Arlong. "I'm sure you have a wide variety of unique treasures over there."

A sly foxy grin appeared on One Eye's face. "Wanna try to win some?" he asked. Nami turned and stared at him, she knew that look… that was the look he got when he was up to something.

"Huh?" questioned Arlong.

"Blood Donor thinks I have a gambling problem," One Eye explained with a casual shrug. "Whenever we find a big treasure, I end up losing most of it in casinos. As a result, we have to go out and find more. It's a vicious cycle."

Arlong grinned, it sounded like One Eye wasn't too lucky when it came to gambling, "What did you have in mind?"

**FWUMP!** Yet another merman fell victim to Blood Donor's amazing drinking ability. "Blood Donor seems to have the right idea," One Eye observed. "Pick a fishman and I'll take him on in a drinking contest."

"What are the stakes?" asked Arlong.

"How does… a million berries sound?" One Eye suggested. Nami stared at One Eye in shock, did he have that much?

"That's a big bet," observed Arlong. "Are you sure you can back it up?"

"We usually have a lot of money when I haven't lost most of it in casinos," One Eye explained. "Even when I _do_ win, I have a bad habit of placing bigger bets until I end up losing everything. I wouldn't be much of a Treasure Hunter if I didn't have any treasure."

Arlong looked a bit uncertain while Nami was shooting One Eye disapproving looks that he didn't seem to notice or was ignoring. A million berries was a lot of money.

"We can swear a blood oath to uphold our end if you want," One Eye offered, he turned and called out to his partner, "Blood Donor, cut your palm and shake with Arlong."

Arlong glanced at One Eye curiously, prompting an explanation. "Blood Donor has this strange ability to recover from injuries really quickly. He got in a fight on the way here and is covered in bandages but he'll be fully recovered in no time. Having him donate a little blood so we can swear to uphold our end of a bet won't be too bad. That's how he got his nickname. He doesn't say much but he never goes back on his word. If he shakes on the bet with a blood oath, we won't go back on it. Just be sure to uphold your end."

"I'd slit my belly before I break a promise involving money," Arlong assured him causing Nami to flinch. Blood Donor cut his hand as instructed and held it out, Arlong reached out and shook on it.

"A million berries here I come," One Eye commented as he calmly cracked his knuckles.

"I was about to say the same thing," replied Arlong. "How do you want to do this?"

"Both sides get a barrel of grog and the side that finishes theirs first wins," One Eye explained, "nice and simple."

"I hope you can drink quickly," said Arlong. "Well… actually I don't. Shahahaha! CHEW! Come over here and drink this barrel of grog. And do it quickly."

A pale blue archer fish fishman with puckered lips and pink spots on his cheeks came forward. He was wearing a blue tank top, a gold necklace, shorts, and sandals, his name was Chew, and he another one of Arlong's officers along with Hachi and Kuroobi. He was also one of the few remaining sober fishmen, but he wouldn't be for long from the looks of it. Chew sat down across from One Eye and stared at the barrel of grog in front of him. "It will be my pleasure to win that money for you, Lord Arlong, **smek**."

Chew and One Eye both poured themselves a mug of grog, then One Eye turned to Arlong, "Say the word," instructed One Eye as he held the handle of his mug.

"DRINK!" Arlong exclaimed. One Eye raised his glass and started drinking while Chew lowered his lips into his mug and started sucking up the grog. Chew sucked down his grog quickly but One Eye managed to finish closely after him and slammed his cup down. **THUNK! **Chew poured himself another glass and immediately started sucking it down, while One Eye hurried to catch up with him. **THUNK!** One Eye slammed his mug down but Chew was already on his third mug of grog and was establishing a strong lead.

"So that's the way it's gonna be, huh?" questioned One Eye. **CHUNK!** One Eye drove his fist into the top of the barrel and made a hole near the rim, he raised the barrel up over his head and guzzled down the grog as he poured it down his throat. Chew drank his fourth cup as One Eye continued to drink from his barrel. Arlong, Nami, Blood Donor, and all the rest of the fishmen stopped what they were doing to watch the contest. Chew drank five cups… six cups… but then… **KER-THUNK! **One Eye slammed his barrel down "Done!" he announced.

The fishmen let out a collective gasp, one of the officers had just lost a drinking contest. Arlong peered into One Eye's barrel, it was completely empty. "That was clever One Eye," commented Arlong. "Did we ever state you could drink from the barrel?"

"We didn't," replied One Eye. "But with the way that guy was going, I had to do something so I let gravity help me. I believe you owe me a million berries. You're welcome to a rematch, but I want to see my winnings first."

"Alright," agreed Arlong. "Someone get One Eye his money. Shahahaha! I'll be winning it back shortly."

But suddenly, the arrival of a familiar fat blue fishman interrupted everything, "**Arlong! Arlong!**" cried out the fishman, "The one with the long nose got away! I think he fled to Cocoyashi Village."

"That's Usopp," One Eye realized. "He doesn't know we're here."

"Cocoyashi Village?" repeated Arlong, "It just so happens I have some business there."

"Well, you obviously can't be seen in the company of humans," One Eye pointed out. "So we can't go with you to get him. But if you were to _capture _him, we'd help you make him disappear."

"I could do that," Arlong agreed.

"I should warn you," said One Eye. "Usopp has a tendency to shout out outrageous things and if he sees you as a threat he might attack you."

"If he attacks me, I'll attack him back," replied Arlong. "I will not look weak in front of the rest of the humans."

"I understand," One Eye calmly admitted. "You have a position to uphold. But I paid you one hundred thousand berries not to kill him."

"I'll see what happens when I get there," Arlong decided as he and a bunch of the more sober fishmen headed for the door. One Eye grinned and idly watched as Chew and Kuroobi left along with Arlong, the only sober fishman left was Hachi and he didn't seem to be the brightest fishman there was. Arlong's parting words sealed his drunken crew's fate. "Someone win my money back while I'm gone!"

"You heard him," said One Eye as soon as Arlong was gone, "Blood Donor and I will take on all of you in a drinking contest. I'll let the million berries I just won ride, if any of you guys out last us, you get everything back. But if you lose… we get twenty million berries."

"Twenty million?" repeated one of the fishmen, that was a lot of money.

"There's a lot of you," Ricky pointed out, "The odds are in your favor."

"LET'S DO IT!" cheered the fishmen. Only Nami noticed the sly grin that appeared on One Eye's face.

**---x---**

A little while later, in Cocoyashi Village, a shout rang out. "**ARLONG'S COMING!**"

"What does he want?" wondered a villager, "we already paid our tribute."

"They probably saw my weapon," said the mayor of Cocoyashi, he was an older man with black hair and a mustache, he wore a maroon uniform and a spinning pinwheel was on his matching maroon hat. The man had stitched up scars all over him, on his face, his arms, his legs, he looked like he had been sliced opened multiple times many years ago. This man's name was Genzo. "Everyone go inside."

"Mr. Genzo…" started a villager, but I was too late.

"He's here," announced another.

Arlong and his fishmen followers surrounded Genzo, who was sitting on the edge of the town well. "So it was you," said Arlong, "you were the one with the sword from three days ago."

"Yes, that was me," Genzo calmly admitted, "Can't a guy have a hobby, or are you going to restrict those too? Next you'll tell us we can't breathe or play with our children."

"I have no problem with hobbies," Arlong replied as he towered over the well Genzo was sitting on. "It's weapons I have a problem with. They give birth to wicked thoughts and are the number one threat to peace."

**---x---**

Behind two houses Usopp and Nojiko were watching the altercation, "_That's_ Arlong!" Usopp exclaimed, "He's huge! He's not human!"

"He's a fishman," Nojiko reminded him.

"But Nami isn't with them," Usopp realized.

"She's probably back at Arlong Park," Nojiko suggested.

**---x---**

"Uhh… no more…" groaned a fishman as he fell out of his seat and collapsed on the ground. **THUMP!**

"What is this?" Ricky taunted as he and Zoro sat on top of the table, both only slightly inebriated. "I thought you guys were the superior species?"

"We are…" moaned a fishman that had literally been drunk under the table.

"The twenty million berries I just won say otherwise," Ricky pointed out. "You _superior _fishmen won't get your captain's money back if you keep this up."

"We'll… we'll beat you!" a fishman retorted as he fought up off of the floor and swayed as he stood on his feet.

"Alright then, how about another bet?" Ricky offered. "Who's still conscious?"

Another four fishmen struggled to get up off of the floor, they were all already drunk, the only thing keeping them conscious was their fishman pride.

"How about a physical challenge?" Ricky suggested, the fishmen perked up at that idea. "The five of you against my partner and me, we'll have a drunken one-handed handstand contest. We're all at least a little drunk so it shouldn't take too long. Whoever stays up in the air the longest wins."

"Alright," the fishman agreed. They were stronger than the humans and could easily support their own body weight for a lot longer. But what they didn't realize that they were a lot more drunk than Ricky and Zoro, they wouldn't be able to balance themselves upside-down for long. They were falling right into Ricky's trap. "What are the stakes?"

"Since you guys have the strength advantage and the numbers advantage," reasoned Ricky, "if Blood Donor or I win, we get ten times what we have now. If we lose, you get all 20,000,000 berries back."

"You're on!" the five fishmen accepted.

Ricky turned and whispered to Zoro, "It's not about strength, it's about balance. We already out drank them all so this should be easy money." Zoro nodded in understanding. He was starting to feel all of the booze he had been drinking but he was holding his liquor a lot better than the fishmen. Even if he couldn't outlast all of them, he was sure Ricky could. Why else would that swindler have made the bet?

The seven contestants stood across from each other, "Ready… and go!" called out Ricky. At the same time the two humans and the five fishmen flipped forward and pushed themselves up on one hands. They stayed there upside-down waiting to see who would fall first.

**FLUMP! **One of the more drunken fishmen couldn't balance and fell flat on is face, leaving six contestants.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" asked Nami as she walked up to Ricky and glared down at him with her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Ricky answered simply. "I'd suggest that you leave so Arlong doesn't think you had a part in it when he gets back."

Nami stared at him, there was obviously nothing she could do to stop the two 'treasure hunters' and the fishmen were too stupid to realize that Ricky was taking advantage of them. The best course of action would be to leave so when Arlong got back, he'd at least see that it wasn't her fault.

"Fine, I'm out of here," Nami announced as she promptly walked off, "I have business in Cocoyashi Village anyway."

**FLUMP!** Another drunken fishman fell on his face, leaving Ricky, Zoro, and three fishmen.

**---x---**

"I have twenty villages under my control," Arlong continued to address the people of Cocoyashi Village. "When someone goes against higher authority it disrupted the whole system. Gosa Village rebelled, so I destroyed it as an example to the others. To refuse to pay the tribute is the same as rebellion."

"Tribute?" questioned Usopp, "What's he talking about?"

"The money we pay them every month," Nojiko explained, "We pay him not to destroy our villages. But if even one person in the village can't pay we'll be crushed like Gosa was."

"That's terrible!" Usopp exclaimed, "A whole town because of one person?"

"That's Arlong's policy," replied Nojiko, "Humans are like dirt to them. They think nothing of killing us."

"Listen up!" Arlong called out to the entire village. "The only duty of you inferior humans is to pay us. You don't have to do anything else! YOUR TRIBUTE WILL BE THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARLONG EMPIRE, WHICH WILL RULE THE EAST BLUE, AND THEN THE WORLD!"

**---x---**

**FWUMP!** The last fishman fell, leaving only Ricky balancing upside-down. "They lost!" a fishman exclaimed. "How are we supposed to get Arlong's treasure back now?"

Ricky flipped forward and launched himself onto his feet. **TMP!** "Wanna try something else?" Ricky offered, he now had 200,000,000 berries.

"We've lost too much to turn back now!" shrieked a fishman.

"I'll cut you guys some slack," said Ricky, "all or nothing. Give me and Blood Donor some swords and we'll fight all of you. You beat us, you get everything we have. We win, we get all of Arlong's treasure."

"ALL OF IT!" repeated the fishman in shock.

"You guys have the advantage," Ricky pointed out, "there's about fifteen of you, and there are only two of us. Not to mention you're _clearly_ bigger and stronger. The odds are clearly in your favor. Don't tell me fishmen are cowards. What would Arlong think?"

"Fine you're on!" a fishman reluctantly agreed as he staggered up to his feet.

"You're just two humans!" reasoned another There's no way we'll lose!"

"LET'S DO IT!" another bunch of fishmen cheered.

Zoro was handed back _Wado Ichimonji _while Ricky was given a regular sword from the weapons room of Arlong Park.

"_If fishmen are as strong as they say they are this could prove to be a good test," _Zoro said to himself.

"I'm not that great with a regular sword," Ricky whispered to him, "But they're all drunk, so we can take them. Just try not to kill any."

**---x---**

**Proper Living**

**---x---**

"An Arlong Empire!" Usopp repeated, "They're thinking of creating their own country! If he wants to conquer all the cities in the East Blue… that must mean my village too!"

"Maybe," Nojiko replied, "All we can do is endure in silence. For now…"

"For now?" questioned Usopp, but suddenly a loud shout rang out. "What was that!"

"Genzo!" Nojiko exclaimed.

Arlong had grabbed Genzo and was holding the much smaller man up by the throat, "The possession of weapons is unforgivable," said Arlong, "It's a threat to peace in our dominion. And to prevent further rebellion, I'm going to kill you as an example to the rest!"

"What, just because he had a weapon?" asked Usopp, "They're going to kill him for that?"

Nojiko didn't say anything, but then she turned and ran in between the two buildings, "I won't let them!" she muttered to herself.

"Hey get back here or you'll be killed!" Usopp called after her.

"Arlong!" shouted Nojiko as she ran over, "You can't do this! We have never failed to pay our tribute for the last eight years! Do you really think we have any rebellious ideas? Let Genzo go!"

"Nojiko wait!" a villager pleaded with the blue-haired woman.

"I've already told you," said Arlong without letting Genzo go, "Owning a weapon means trying to go against my rule. For the price of security in this realm, this man must die! Or maybe… THE WHOLE VILLAGE SHOULD DISAPPEAR! If one of you lays a hand on us, I'll turn this village into a graveyard!"

"Get in your houses everyone," Genzo ordered, he was still calm despite being held up by the collar. "If violence breaks out, the last eight years will have been for nothing. If we wanted to risk your lives we should have done so eight years ago. But we didn't do it, we swore that everything would be alright, and we chose to live."

"Mr. Genzo, but…" started a villager only to be interrupted by Arlong.

"Your words are wise old man," Arlong commented, "Survival is indeed the greatest victory." **SPLAK!** Arlong slammed Genzo into the wall of a nearby house, smashing his head through the wall in the process. "Live as best as you can and know your place!" Arlong snarled as he held the bloody Genzo in front of him. "This man knew that resistance was futile! ALL CREATURES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL! SHAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong let out a laugh while the startled villagers all looked on. "You humans should know your place!"

One of the villagers pulled back a fist and went to attack Arlong, who dropped Genzo down on the ground, "You, stop!" another villager scolded him.

"But Genzo…" argued the first villager, motioning to the coughing old man at Arlong's feet.

"Don't touch him no matter what happens!" warned the second villager.

"You'd better listen to him," Arlong threatened.

"He never even used the weapon!" shouted the first villager, "Please, spare him!"

"What's this?" questioned Arlong, "Another rebellion!"

"IF YOU DIE THEN THEY WIN!" Genzo yelled from the ground, he fought up to his knees, shoving that he was bleeding, "Whatever happens to me, you must live on!"

Arlong suddenly grabbed Genzo around the abdomen with one hand the lifted him up above his head, "One who goes against me, has sealed their doom!" Arlong shouted as he prepared to finish Genzo off, "WATCH THIS HUMANS!"

"Genzo!" exclaimed a villager.

"LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU ALL!" Arlong hollered.

"**EXPLODING STAR!****!**" **KA-BOOOM!** Something hit Arlong and exploded in a cloud of smoke, causing Arlong to drop Genzo.

"What was that?" demanded a fishman, "Look up there! Somebody's on the roof! Who're you!"

"I'M THE BRAVEST WARRIOR IN THE EAST BLUE!" yelled the long-nosed sharpshooter on the roof, "I'M CAPTAIN USOPP!"

"Usopp?" questioned an old woman, "Never heard of him."

"Usopp!" Nojiko exclaimed.

"Who is that guy?" wondered a villager.

"PEOPLE CALL ME USOPP THE DEMON KING!" Usopp loudly boasted, "PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD FEAR ME! FLEE NOW AND LIVE, I HAVE A CREW OF TWO HUNDRED HARDENED KILLERS BEHIND ME!"

"He's the one that got away!" the fat blue fishman that had chased Usopp earlier realized.

"Yipe!" Usopp yelped when he realized he'd been recognized.

"So he's the one that One Eye warned us about," Arlong commented as the smoke cleared, he was completely unharmed. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TWO HUNDRED _THOUSAND_ MEN! I'LL KILL THEM ONE BY ONE AND THEN PAPER MY WALLS WITH THEIR HIDES!"

"_They're not running!"_ Usopp said to himself, _"The gunpowder star didn't work!"_

"He's just a human," snarled an extremely pissed off Arlong, "A PUNY WORTHLESS HUMAN WHO DARED TO ATTACK ME!"

Arlong rushed forward and grabbed onto the bottom of the house Usopp was standing on, **WHOOOM! **Arlong lifted the entire house up off of the ground, causing Usopp to scream in terror.

"Lord Arlong, wait!" a fishman in an attempt to calm Arlong down, "Are you going to destroy another village? Please boss, there's no profit in that! We already lost the tribute from Gosa! And what about the money you were paid not to kill him?"

"I DON'T CARE! WE'LL FIND NEW VILLAGES TO TAP!" Arlong shouted back as he threw the house into another house, **KA-RASH! **The first house smashed to pieces and nearly knocked over the house it had been thrown into. "WE ARE THE MASTER RACE!"

"He'll wreck the whole town!" Nojiko realized, "That jerk!"

"That was close!" Usopp muttered, at the last second he had jumped from the one house to another, _"Am I dead?" _He jumped down from the house and ran off.

"HE'S ALIVE!" a fishman yelled, "AFTER HIM! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

"I WANT THAT HUMAN BROUGHT BACK TO ARLONG PARK _**ALIVE!"**_ Arlong roared while two fishmen struggled to hold him back. "I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!"

"Let's get him back to Arlong Park," one fishman instructed the others, "Before he destroys the whole village!"

"We'll be back," Kuroobi warned the villagers. "Your village is safe for now."

**---x---**

A little while later the villagers were recovering, "Sorry I caused so much trouble," Genzo apologized.

"Don't say that!" Dr. Nako, an old man with gray hair, a gray goatee, sunglasses, and a bandana on his head, scolded Genzo as he tended to the mayor's injuries. "It's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. Those mermen are all a bunch of loonies!"

"But that boy," commented a villager, "Did you know him Genzo?"

"I've never seen him before," Genzo admitted.

"**Hi neighbors!**" came a voice, everyone turned to see Nami walking over. **SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! **Everyone promptly ran back to their houses and slammed the door behind them. Only Nojiko, Genzo, and Dr. Nako remained.

"What are you doing here?" asked Nojiko, "You usually don't come around in broad daylight."

"I heard a ruckus," Nami answered, "It was Arlong, huh?"

**---x---**

A little while later, Nami was kneeling in front of a grave overlooking the ocean. "Three million berries to go," Nami said out loud.

"**The whole village hates you, you know,**" came Nojiko's voice as she leaned back against a tree behind Nami.

"I'm a pirate," Nami replied, "But Arlong understands money. He'll be true to our bargain. It won't be long until I have what I need. I'm going to get one hundred million berries whatever it takes, it's a small price to pay for our village."

**---x---**

Three fishmen chased Usopp down a road, "Damn, I can't outrun them," sopp cursed to himself, he quickly dove forward and landed in a bush. **SKISH!**

"Where'd he go?" wondered one of the fishmen as he glanced around the road, the human had disappeared.

"**Anyone who thinks Captain Usopp shouldn't die, raise your hand now!"** came a voice.

"**Yes!"** called out a figure as he popped up out of the bushes and raised his arm up in the air, then dropped back down

"**Aye!"** another figure agreed as it popped up out of the shrubs then lowered.

"Idiot, what is he thinking?" wondered one of the fishmen as the three of them started towards the agreeing figures.

"**You people think so too?"** the first voice asked again.

"**Me too!"** agreed a figure as he jumped up out from the bushes and raised his arm up.

**KRASH!** The fishmen lunged forward and tackled the figure to the ground. "Huh?" questioned the fishmen as they got back up. That wasn't the human…

"**ROTTEN EGG STAR!"** came a loud shout. **SPLAK!** A rotten egg hit the fishman in the middle and cracked drenching all of them in smelly goo.

"It stinks! It stinks!" the fishman complained as they were covered in smelly egg.

Usopp came out of the bushes and pulled his goggles off of the stump he had disguised as himself.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Usopp laughed as he took off and ran through the tall grass in a field The grass went up over his head and the only sign of Usopp was the indent he had created by running through hit. "How's that? Fishmen aren't so great. No matter what Captain Usopp will always escape! WOAH!" The tall grass prevented Usopp from seeing where he was going, and he almost ran right off a cliff.

"Crap," Usopp cursed as he stared down the cliff and saw sand and water below him. "I wasn't aware that I'd reached the beach already."

"**THIS WAY! WE'VE GOT HIM!"** came a voice, Usopp looked behind him and saw the three fishmen running through the tall grass.

"Yipe!" Usopp yelped as he grabbed onto the small tree that was planted on the edge of the cliff next to him.

The fishmen ran through the grass and reached the edge of the cliff, but Usopp was gone! "There's nothing here!" one of the fishmen observed.

"Were we mistaken?" another fishman wondered.

"That guy runs really fast," commented the third. A bird flew over and landed on a black nest that was in the small tree on the cliff.

"Let's look elsewhere," the first fishman suggested. The three of them turned around and headed back through the grass, none of them noticed Usopp hiding on the other side of the tree with the bird in his hair.

"Thank God…" Usopp groaned. That had been too close.

**---x---**

**SLAM!** Down on the beach below Usopp, Chew, the pale blue archer fish fishman that Ricky had beaten in a drinking contest, drove a man back into the side of the cliff. He was interrogating the people nearby in an attempt to find Usopp.

"I don't know!" the man exclaimed as Chew held his neck.

"Telling lies won't do you any good, **HIC!**" Chew scolded him, he was still a little tipsy after drinking almost an entire barrel of grog all at once.

**KRATA-KRATA-KRASH!** Up on the cliff Usopp lost his footing and went rolling down the side of the cliff before landed in a heap on some sand nearby.

"That was close," Usopp commented as he sat up and started dusting himself off. Off in a distance he saw the man that Chew had been interrogating waving frantically at him. "Huh? What? What the…" Usopp didn't notice the dark shape in the water.

"Thanks for cheering me on!" Usopp called out as he waved back at the frantic man. "As you can see I'm fine!"

**SPLOOSH! "Perhaps—HIC!—a little too fine,"** commented Chew as he landed on the beach in front of Usopp. Usopp's eyes had gone wide opened and his arm was still over his head, he was too scared to take it down.

**---x---**

"Stupid fishmen, their arrogance is their biggest weakness," Ricky commented as he sat on Arlong's throne with his feet up on one of the arm rests. Zoro was leaning against a nearby column wearing a blue button-down party shirt that he had gotten from a fishman. Beside the throne were two GIANT sacks of money and gold. All the fishmen lay scattered around on the ground inside Arlong Park.

"How'd you get so good at handling fishmen?" Zoro asked curiously. "It's like you knew exactly which buttons to press to get them to bet more."

"My old pirate crew," Ricky answered, "I have experience in swindling them out of money."

"What's the difference between a fishman and a merman anyway?" wondered Zoro.

"Fishmen have human-like legs and fish-like characteristics on their upper-body," explained Ricky. "Mermen are the opposite and have a human-like upper-body and a fish-like tail and fins."

**(A/N: Due to the horrible 4-Kids dub, I didn't know the difference between fishmen and mermen, but thanks to the recent manga stuff, it got cleared up. I wanted to work that in here just in case the ineptness that is 4-Kids confused anyone else.)**

"Oh, so there is a difference," Zoro realized. "Then since you already seem to know everything else, what's Nami up to? And how are we getting her back?"

"For now, we're gonna stall until Luffy gets here," Ricky replied. "Nami has a deal with Arlong. She's trying to buy her village for 100,000,000 berries. She has a lot of faith in it so I don't want to do anything right away. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to work and we'll need more than just the two of us to deal with this fishman problem. Besides, spending a day drinking and cleaning out Arlong wasn't that bad, was it? We got about two billion berries out of it."

"You've got that right," Zoro agreed. "I'll leave you in charge of the plans for now on. I kind of enjoyed that."

**---x---**

When Ricky bets he doesn't lose. I told you there would be big changes involving this arc. This is only just the beginning.

Now, I'd assume that Arlong is one of the wealthiest pirates in the East Blue, regardless of species. He's been on Commi Island for eight years and has been getting monthly tributes from about twenty villages. It's perfectly reasonable for Arlong to have two billion berries saved up. He probably should have more than that but let's say he spent a lot of it over the years on bribes and large parties. I needed a set amount for Ricky to swindle Arlong's men out of so it's 2,000,000,000 berries. Just go with it.

Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku are still on their way but they are going to encounter one of the monsters from the Grand Line.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	31. Chapter 30

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Monster From the Grand Line**

**-x-**

Inside Arlong Park, Ricky and Zoro were still around but all of the fishmen that Arlong had left behind were scattered around the ground out cold. Arlong was still at Cocoyashi Village to the best of their knowledge.

"So what do we do now?" asked Zoro.

"I think we should probably get out of here," Ricky decided. "We don't want to be around when Arlong comes back and sees how much I won."

"How much is there anyway?" inquired Zoro as he stared at the massive sacks of treasure Ricky had next to him. "They're nearly half as big as you are!"

"I'd say about two billion berries," Ricky guessed. "Arlong won't bother chasing after Usopp so he'll head back here while other fishmen try to catch him. We need to head to Cocoyashi Village and see if we can save him."

"I guess that makes sense," Zoro replied. "So which way are we going?"

"When Arlong left he was heading west," Ricky explained. "When I woke up to find those fishmen taking us here, we were heading east. We'll go west along the shore to avoid the fishmen and change course depending on what we find."

Zoro stayed silent and stared at Ricky for a moment, "So which way are we going?" he asked again, causing Ricky to sweat-drop.

"You have absolutely no sense of direction," Ricky remarked as he shook his head. "You're worse than Luffy."

**-x-**

Out in front of Arlong Park, Hachi was cooking a roasted pig, which was spinning over a fire on a spit. **NYUU! NYUU!** Hachi played a few notes on his trumpet like lips, "MOHMOO! LUNCHTIME! **NYUU! NYUU! NYUU!**" He played a few loud notes, which were heard by the two pirates inside.

**-x-**

"Hear that?" asked Zoro.

"Hear it?" repeated Ricky, "I can smell it. Someone is outside roasting a pig. One of the fishmen is about to feed a pet. I guess we missed one."

"Wanna go check it out?" Zoro offered.

Ricky nodded, "We can see if he knows where our ship is," Ricky agreed. "Take one of the sacks."

Zoro shrugged and then let out a grunt as he hefted the huge sack filled with gold and treasure up onto his shoulder. Ricky casually lifted up his sack onto his shoulder as if it was nothing, and it was, while Zoro's sack contained gold, jewels, and other somewhat heavy valuables, Ricky's sack contained bills and notes which made it light despite its large size. But Zoro didn't have to know that.

**-x-**

Out front 'Mohmoo' still hadn't come. The large sea cow in question had spotted food elsewhere. "Where is he?" Hachi wondered out loud, while holding the roasted pig up on a stick, "Mohmoo just loves roast pig, did he already eat?" Hachi just shrugged, "Oh well, I'll eat it then."

"**What's with the trumpet?**" came a voice, Hachi turned around to see the Treasure Hunters from before looking over the wall at him.

"Oh! You're the Treasure Hunters," Hachi realized, "I'm Hatchan, but call me Hachi, **nyuu. **I saw you dance before, I'm surprised you could keep up with my six handed symphony."

"Do you know where our ship is?" asked One Eye. "We lost track of it."

"Well, there's one ship anchored in front of Cocoyashi Village," Hachi answered. "But yours is nearby. I can tow you there if you'd like."

"Alright," One Eye agreed. "Blood Donor, Hachi's giving us a ride to the ship, get the treasure out here." Blood Donor nodded and tossed one sack of treasure over the wall, while Ricky pulled his over as well.

"Wow!" Hachi exclaimed when he saw the two big sacks. "Where'd you get so much treasure?"

"All over…" One Eye replied with a foxy grin.

"You're Lord Arlong's guests," said Hachi as he used three arms to point to a pot in front of him, "Get in."

**-x-**

Out at sea, Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku were still on their way to Arlong Park. Sanji, Luffy, and Yosaku were sitting at a table eating the meal Sanji had cooked. Luffy had a leg of meat in one hand and his other one was over Yosaku's plate. Yosaku's mouth was full so with one hand he was holding Luffy's wrist, keeping him from eating his bean sprouts and with the other he was motioning to his plate and himself.

"What's he trying to say?" Luffy wondered with his mouth full. **FWUP!** Luffy flipped one of the bean sprouts into his mouth with his hand. **MUNCH! GULP! ** "Let go of my hand."

"I'm saying its mine!" Yosaku snapped once he'd swallowed his food.

"What? Who decided that?" asked Luffy.

"It's on _my_ plate, it's gotta be mine!" Yosaku argued.

"Oh, sorry," Luffy apologized. "I'll give it back to you then." Luffy opened his mouth to show the bounty hunter the chewed up bean sprouts.

"No way, that's no longer edible!" Yosaku exclaimed.

Sanji just sat there drinking a glass of wine while the pirate and the bounty hunter argued. **MOOOOOOO!**

"Shh! I hear something," Sanji said as he stood up and glanced at the water under the boat. Luffy and Yosaku stopped arguing so they could listen too. **MOOOOOO! **"There's something beneath us." A large dark shape appeared in the water under the boat, and the shape kept getting bigger and bigger. "It's huge," Sanji observed.

**SPLOOOSH! MOOOOOOO! **A giant spotted sea cow with horns and a giant golden nose ring rose up out of the water at towered up over the boat and was easily ten times the size of the small vessel.

"AAAAHHHH!" Yosaku screamed in terror.

"What's that?" Luffy wondered as he continued eating.

"MONSTER!" Yosaku shrieked.

"A cow! It's humongous!" Luffy exclaimed.

"A cow? Swimming?" questioned Sanji as he calmly smoked his cigarette. "It's more likely a hippo."

"What's it doing in the East Blue?" Yosaku screamed, "THAT'S A MONSTER FROM THE GRAND LINE!"

"What's it up to?" wondered Luffy as the sea cow leaned closer and stared at small boat in front of it.

"He's eying our food," Yosaku observed, "Quick, give it to him or he'll sink our ship!"

"GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" Luffy shouted as he shot out his rubber fist and punched the giant sea cow upside the head. **BOING!** **SPLOOSH! **Mohmoo went crashing down into the water from the impact, "DON'T TOUCH MY FOOD!"

"You did it Brother Luffy!" Yosaku cheered. But Yosaku's celebration was premature, **MOOOOO!** Mohmoo rose up out of the water and bared his giant pointed teeth, "You only made him mad!"

"Then I'll hit him again!" Luffy resolved as he brought back his fist.

**THWACK! **Sanji kicked Luffy out of the way, "Idiot!" the cook scolded the captain. "Don't attack that poor hungry creature! Maybe its injured and can't find food itself. That must be it."

"What a heart," Yosaku praised Sanji as the cook took the plate off the table and held it out to the cow.

"Feel free to have it," Sanji offered as he held the plate over the edge of the boat.

The cow stared at the food in front of it, then lunged forward to eat it. **THWAK!** "GO TO HELL!" Sanji snarled as he kicked the cow in the face. **SPLASH!** The cow fell backwards and landed in the water again.

"What was that for!" demanded Yosaku.

"Because, that bastard hippo tried to eat me along with the food," Sanji answered.

**MOOOOOOO! **The cow rose back out of the water, now the giant monster was really mad.

"IT'S COMING BACK!" Yosaku shouted, "HE'S GONNA SINK US!"

"Okay then, I'll…" Luffy to say but was cut off.

"Let me handle this," Sanji interrupted as he held his arm in front of Luffy.

Sanji jumped up onto the railing and then leapt up into the air, "COLLIER SHOOT!" **KA-BAM! **Sanji swung his foot around and kicked Mohmoo in the neck. "Stupid hippo," muttered the cook as he landed back in the boat.

**KER-SPLOOSH! **The 'hippo' went crashing back down into the water from the impact, and this time was knocked out cold.

"HOORAY! LET'S GET BACK TO OUR MEAL!" Luffy cheered as the plate was placed back on the table.

"I worked up an appetite," Sanji remarked as he sat down at the table with Luffy.

"These guys are crazy…" Yosaku whimpered to himself.

**-x-**

"What a nice guy," Ricky commented as he and Zoro stood on the ship they had arrived in and watched Hachi swim off in the direction of Arlong Park, "stupid… but nice enough."

"So now what?" asked Zoro.

"We start digging," Ricky answered.

"Huh?" questioned Zoro.

"Once Arlong finds out what happened he's going to try and take it back," Ricky explained as he picked up the big sack of treasure he had stolen from Don Krieg and lugged it off of the ship along with the two massive sacks of treasure he'd gotten from Arlong.. "We'll hide the treasure in that forest over there, they'll never find it. Then we can come back for it when everything's over." Ricky opened his sack of Kreig's treasure and pulled out a small sack from within it.

"What's that?" inquired Zoro.

"I'm not going to leave this here," Ricky stated. "It's Don Krieg's pride and joy." He quickly slipped the small sack of very valuable treasure into his 'treasure pocket'. "Now let's find a spot to bury the rest of this, then we'll save Usopp."

**-x-**

"WHAT IS THIS?" Arlong shouted when he arrived back at Arlong Park and saw the state his fishmen were in, there were about fifteen bodies scattered around the floor unconscious, "WHAT HAPPENED?" Arlong walked over to a fishman and couched down next to him. "TELL ME!"

"Ungghhh…" the fishman groaned.

"What happened!" demanded Arlong. "Where are the Treasure Hunters?"

"We lost…" gasped the fishman. "They kept challenging us … One Eye and Roronoa Zoro… they just kept winning…"

"The Pirate Hunter?" questioned Arlong, "Has he come for my head?"

"He was one of the Treasure Hunters… the one with the sash… the silent one…" Rozo = ro-zo = zo–ro = Zoro, or Ro-ronoa Zo-ro = Rozo, Arlong realized this and wondered why he hadn't seen through it in the first place.

"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ONE?" Arlong practically screamed, Roronoa Zoro was one thing, but the other insulted his intelligence and betrayed his trust. "One Eye Ricky… who was he?"

"He's a swindler," said the fishman. "Lord Arlong…we lost your treasure."

"ALL OF IT?" Arlong shouted in outrage. "AFTER I WELCOMED HIM IN AND ALL I DID FOR HIM? YOU CAN'T TRUST THOSE HUMANS AS FAR AS YOU CAN THROW THEM! I WANT MY TREASURE BACK FROM THAT ONE-EYED BASTARD! GO OUT AND FIND HIM!" The poor hungover fishman flinched at all the yelling.

At that moment Chew arrived back at Arlong Park dragging Usopp along behind him by the nose, he pushed through the doors and saw the condition of Arlong Park. "What happened here?"

"We've been had… BY A PAIR OF INFERIOR HUMANS!" Arlong hollered.

"_Zoro and Ricky must have done this,"_ Usopp realized when he saw all of the fishmen lying around on the floor.

"I caught this one, **smek!**" Chew announced as he dragged Usopp over to Arlong, "Killing him may make you feel better! **Smek**."

"In my present mood, I don't know," Arlong admitted.

"Right, then I'll just be going," Usopp offered, "it was very nice to meet you all, take care!" But Chew held onto Usopp when he saw the condition of Arlong Park,

"What happened?" Chew asked again.

"The Treasure Hunters beat our men and stole Arlong's treasure," Kuroobi explained, "What I want to know is 'how and why'. Maybe they came here for a reason. Maybe someone betrayed us. Maybe Nami hired them."

"**Shut up!"** snapped Nami who had just arrived. "How dare you accuse me! You're raving like a madman! I tried to stop them, Arlong, but your fishmen wouldn't listen."

"Nami…" Usopp whispered to himself, surprised at seeing her here.

"I swore my loyalty with this tattoo, how dare you accuse me!" Nami exclaimed as she held the Arlong tattoo on her left shoulder, "I nearly have the amount for our deal. I wouldn't do anything to mess it up now." _"Those two went too far!"_

"Forgive me Nami," Arlong apologized, "I was wrong to have suspected you. You have every right to be upset. We got excited and jumped to conclusions."

**-x-**

**KREK!** Ricky lifted up a tree so it was once again standing straight up and covered the hole he and Zoro had dug underneath it and buried all the treasure in. "There," said Ricky as he cleaned off his hands, then he glanced at Zoro, "would you like to do the honors?"

"Huh?"

"As a pirate tradition, you're supposed to mark any buried treasure with an 'x'," Ricky explained. "Mark the tree."

**SLIK! SLIK! **Zoro drew his sword and carved an 'x' into the side of the tree the treasure was buried under. It didn't stand out much but Ricky would probably be able to recognize it when he came back for it.

"There, now we're done, right?" asked Zoro, while Ricky attempted to memorize their location.

"Yeah," Ricky replied, "Let's find Usopp, he's probably in trouble."

Zoro nodded and the two of them turned and ran off they way they had come.

**-x-**

Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku had tied Mohmoo to their boat, and now the sea cow was pulling them towards Arlong Park.

"Yipee!" Luffy cheered. "Faster! Faster! Take us to Arlong Park!"

**-x-**

**Business**

**-x-**

"The bounty on my head is worth twenty million berries," said Arlong as he sat on his throne with Usopp on the ground at his feet. "The highest in the East Blue! A bounty that high would tempt any Bounty Hunter. Roronoa Zoro may be famous in the East Blue but that 'One Eye' Ricky is from the Grand Line, he's clearly in charge." **CHINK!** Arlong stabbed a knife into the stone floor beside Usopp's nose. "You're one of One Eye's men, WHERE IS HE?"

"I don't know anything," Usopp lied, "I don't know even who you're talking about!"

"Don't lie," Chew scolded him, "You've upset Lord Arlong, there's not saving you, **smek! **He mentioned you before, we know you know him."

"Fine, no more lies," Usopp agreed, "I'm Zoro's best friend! And I owe Ricky money! The guy practically sees me as younger brother! If you kill me, they'll both come here and kill you!"

"So if I kill you, they'll come here?" questioned Arlong as he wiggled the knife in the rock besides Usopp's long nose, Usopp flinched and his nose rolled up in an attempt to escape the blade.

"No… you _shouldn't_ kill me!" Usopp advised, "If I'm alive, they'll come and save me! They won't come if I'm dead!" All the fishmen standing nearby sweat-dropped after hearing Usopp's back and forth attempts to keep from getting killed. "Come on Nami! Say something!"

"What's the matter Nami?" asked Kuroobi, "You've gone pale."

"You still don't trust me, huh?" questioned Nami.

"I know you too well," Kuroobi replied, "You're too smart for your own good. You betrayed your village and your family. I always wondered what you would want from a bunch of houses and a village like that. That was until I found this in your room…" Kuroobi then proceeded to pull out a map and held it in front of Nami. "This is a map of Commi Island! And the 'x' marks Cocoyashi Village!"

Like Kuroobi said, it was a map of Commi Island and Cocoyashi Village was marked with an 'x', but what he _didn't_ know was that Nami had drawn that map at only ten years old. The 'x' marked her house.

"Give it back," Arlong ordered, "It belongs to Nami!"

"_If I don't relay they suspicions, they'll kill me too!"_ Nami reasoned to herself, _"Why did they have to follow me? I was so close!"_

"HOW DARE YOU!" Nami snarled, despite the fact that the fishman was well over twice her size. "You had no right to go through my room! I'm sick of all your suspicions. All I care about is buying back that village. I almost have the money I need, it wouldn't make sense for me to betray you now."

**SPLASH! **Hachi jumped up in front of the other fishmen and out of the waterway. It took him a few seconds, but he eventually noticed the bodies of the fishmen lying around on the floor. "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?"

"This was the work of a pair of Bounty Hunters," Arlong answered, "Hachi, if you were here you could've stopped them! In fact, that's why we left you here!"

"I went outside to feed Mohmoo," Hachi replied. "I didn't see anyone."

"So you didn't see 'One Eye' Ricky and 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro?" asked Kuroobi.

"I just saw the two Treasure Hunters," Hachi explained. "Since they're our guests I helped them bring their treasure to their ship. Wait… THAT WAS THEM!"

"HACHI YOU IDIOT!" Chew and Kuroobi yelled. "THAT WAS LORD ARLONG'S TRESAURE!"

"OH! The one-eyed human wanted me to give a message to Lord Arlong," Hachi remembered. "He said, _'Sorry, its just business.'_"

"So… his line of business is robbing pirates of their treasure, eh?" questioned Arlong, he turned and cast a post-humorous glance at Nami, "He sounds a bit like you. Maybe that's why you two hit it off so well. But _MY _line of business IS KILLING INFERIOR HUMANS!" Arlong was once again angry as he turned to Hachi, "WHERE DID HE GO? I WANT TO TEACH HIM A LESSON!"

"I towed them over to their ship and helped them get their treasure on board," Hachi answered.

"You _towed_ them?" repeated Arlong in disbelief. "They could be gone by now, with that much money they could easily afford to get a replacement for this human." He turned to his fishmen crew, "I want at least five of you to go out and hunt them down! They can't have gotten far. BRING THEM BOTH BACK ALIVE SO I CAN KILL THEM MYSELF!"

Five of the fishmen that had gone with Arlong to Cocoyashi Village dove into the water way and swam off. Arlong's four officers, Hachi, Kuroobi, Chew, and Nami still remained.

While the fishmen were still focused on Hachi and chasing after Ricky and Zoro, Usopp discretely slid his hand to his weapons pouch and grabbed the handle of his slingshot. _"Ricky swore he'd get Nami back. There's no way he and Zoro would just leave me here. I just need to buy some more time and escape."_

Nami was the only one who noticed Usopp's movements, _"I can't let them get in the way! NOT WHEN I'M SO CLOSE!" _

Usopp sat up and aimed his slingshot at Arlong while everyone was distracted… well _almost_ everyone. Nami stepped in between Arlong and Kuroobi and reached into her shirt. She pulled out the three parts of her bow-staff and quickly stuck them together. **WHOMP! **Nami cracked Usopp across the face with her bow-staff and knocked him on his back and sent him rolling away. The loud noise drew the attention of everyone.

"Huh?" questioned Arlong.

"Damn you Nami," Usopp growled as he sat up. "You want a fight, don't ya?"

"This is your fault Usopp," Nami said as she held her bow staff out in front of her. "You're the one getting in the way. This is what you get for messing with Arlong."

**PTOI!** Usopp spat out some blood then got up to his feet, "Nami, you really disappointed me," Usopp commented. "Even after you stole our ship and ran off, Luffy still trusted you! He trusts you completely. And you haven't even shown an ounce of guilt! How can you betray someone like that! Are you really that cold hearted!"

"The only thing I trust is money," Nami replied. "Those dumb enough to be fooled deserve it."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" Usopp snapped.

"You idiot," Nami snapped. "Everything was going according to plan. I'm not about to let you ruin eight long years of hard work." Nami reached down and picked up the knife that Arlong had been holding to Usopp's nose. "So long Usopp, its just business. I'm sure you can understand that."

"Hmm…" Arlong said. It sounded like this Usopp character had been tricked by Nami and he came after her. But One Eye Ricky had said that the long nose was one of his 'treasure hunters'. Who was this 'Luffy' and what was his connection with One Eye Ricky and Roronoa Zoro? Was he the final member of One Eye's group or were there more of them? What was going on here?

"AHAHAHAHA!" Usopp laughed, not intimidated by Nami or her knife. "Like you're gonna kill me? AHAHAHAHA!"

"That's right," Nami replied with a sinister look on her face. "I wouldn't underestimate me."

"AHA—HUH?" Usopp stopped laughing, _now_ he was intimidated. _"Oh crap,"_ Usopp thought to himself and he pulled something out of his pouch and loaded it into his slingshot. _"If I stay here, I'm a dead man." _"SMOKE STAR!" **FWOOM! **Usopp fired his smoke pellet at the middle of the group of fishmen. A thick cloud of smoke appeared around him and obscured everyone's view.

"A smoke bomb!" exclaimed a fishman, "Surround him! Don't let him escape!"

"_Now's my chance,"_ Usopp realized, he ran through the smoke for the waterway while the fishmen were distracted. But he stopped when he saw Nami blocking his path.

"You're so predictable," Nami muttered as she reached out and grabbed Usopp's shoulder and pulled back her knife.

"Don't!" Usopp shrieked.

**CHUNK!** Nami plunged the knife into Usopp and blood dripped down onto her hands and forearms.

When the smoke cleared, the scene the fishmen saw was Nami holding up a bloody Usopp with a bloody knife and blood all over her hands. There was a lot of blood.

"It's business, I had no choice," Nami whispered, then she pulled out the knife. "Die quietly." Nami stepped to the side and Usopp fell forward and fell into the waterway, **SPLASH!**

Usopp fell into the waterway and floated away, the fishmen all let out cheers at seeing Nami kill the human, "YAAAAYYYY!"

**-x-**

But the fishmen weren't the only people who saw Usopp get killed. Johnny was watching from the east entrance of Arlong Park. "This is terrible!" Johnny exclaimed, "SISTER NAMI JUST KILLED BROTHER USOPP!"

**-x-**

"This is what you wanted," Nami said to the water, "now you can die at sea."

"Nami, I'm sorry that I suspected you," Kuroobi apologized, "Without question, you're our friend." Kuroobi held out his hand, supposedly to make amends and shake it.

But instead, Nami turned the knife around and pushed the handle into the ray-fishman's hand and snatched away the map he was holding in the other hand. "Friend huh?" repeated Nami. "I joined this crew for one reason, to earn one hundred million berries and buy Cocoyashi Village. This is just business. I have no friends." Nami turned and cast a glance at Arlong. "That is, if you're still gonna hold up your part of the deal."

"Shahahaha," Arlong laughed. "Of course not! I'd slit my belly before I break my promise. That's the kind of fishman I am."

"That's the Arlong I know," Nami commented as she walked off, taking the map with her.

"Lord Arlong, she's a strange woman," said Kuroobi.

"She's a splendid woman," Arlong remarked as Nami left.

**-x-**

Outside, Johnny was in tears, "I've got to tell Brother Zoro and Brother Ricky," sobbed Johnny, "That witch Nami murdered Brother Usopp!"

**-x-**

Speaking of Ricky and Zoro, they were still running towards Arlong Park when a loud noise broke out, **MOOOOOOOOOO!**

"What the heck was that?" Zoro wondered.

"If we keep going, maybe we'll find out," Ricky answered.

**-x-**

"I can see Arlong Park!" Luffy announced as Mohmoo pulled the boat closer and closer. But Sanji's kick had taken its toll on Mohmoo and he was slowing down and weakening.

"Don't give up hippo!" Sanji urged the weakening sea-cow.

"Your kick really took a toll on him," Yosaku pointed out as the sea cow started pulling to the right.

"Hey you're heading the wrong way!" Sanji snapped, "Go left!"

"Go to that building!" Luffy yelled as he pointed to Arlong Park, not noticing the two pirates fishing in front of it. "That building!"

"WE'RE GONNA CRASH INTO THE SHORE!" Yosaku screamed. All of them screamed as the surged towards the shore to the right of Arlong Park.

**-x-**

Well, Luffy and Sanji have finally arrived at Arlong Park. Is Nami really a witch? Did she really kill Usopp? Some marines are about to find out the power of charts and fishmen.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	32. Chapter 31

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Of Charts and Fishmen**

**-x-**

Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku kept going in their boat with Mohmoo pulling them, getting closer to Commi Island by the second. Unbeknownst to them, they were spotted. Three of the five fishmen that Arlong had sent out to capture Ricky and Zoro saw them rapidly approaching.

"Hey, isn't that Mohmoo?" wondered one of the fishmen.

"Yeah, why's he coming here so fast?" questioned a second fishman.

"Uh… maybe we should move," a third fishman suggested. "He's coming right for us."

But the fishmen were too slow, Mohmoo kept going and plowed right into the three fishmen and drove all three of them into the shore. **SHOOOOM! **The fishmen were crushed and Mohmoo was stopped and knocked unconscious when he slammed into the hard bank of Commi Island. But when their ride stopped, the small boat kept going and went flying into the air and flew over the tree tops as it soared over Commi Island.

"WWWAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the three passengers screamed as their boat was sent flying through the air.

**-x-**

**SHOOOOM!**

"What was that?" questioned a random villager in Cocoyashi Village. "I just heard a loud noise coming from the port!"

**-x-**

"AAAAHHHH!" Luffy, Sanji, and Yosaku were all screaming as their boat launched through the air and flew over the trees. "We're flying!" exclaimed Luffy.

"We've been _sent_ flying, you stretchy idiot!" Sanji corrected him.

"NOW WE'RE FALLING!" Yosaku screamed. The boat was losing altitude and went crashing down into the trees. **KROOSH!**

"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" Luffy shouted as the boat crushed through the trees and continue to smash its way through the forest. **KRAK! KRAK!** "Hey, we're on the ground!"

"But we're still going!" Sanji pointed out.

**-x-**

"What a racket," Zoro complained as he and Ricky darted through the trees.

"I wonder if Luffy's here," Ricky suddenly said.

**KRESH! KRESH! KRASH!** Zoro and Ricky looked up when they heard the sound of trees being knocked down.

**KRESH! KRASH!** A fast moving boat came barreling through the trees as Zoro and Ricky turned to look at it. "Speak of the devil," Ricky commented as he calmly stepped out of the way.

"LOOK OUT ZORO!" Luffy yelled at the startled swordsman. **KA-BOOOOM! **The boat plowed into Zoro then smashed into the side of a plateau. **KRAAASSHHH!**

"That couldn't have been good for his injuries," Ricky dryly remarked as he stood to the side and surveyed the wreckage.

The ship had been completely destroyed and was now just a bunch of wood. Luffy was completely unharmed as he straightened his straw hat, Sanji was sitting next to him on top of a pile of wood, Yosaku was buried head first in another pile of wood and at first glance, Zoro was nowhere to be seen.

**KLUNK!** A piece of wood was thrown to the side and Zoro popped up out of the wreckage, also relatively unharmed. "What the hell… WERE YOU DOING?" Zoro demanded.

"What do you mean?" questioned Luffy. "We're here to pick up Nami."

"Better late then never, I suppose," Ricky reasoned. "We've got a bit of a problem here so we may need your help."

"Huh? What kind of problem?" asked Luffy. "Where are Usopp and Johnny?"

"Usopp!" Zoro exclaimed. "Oh crap! We've gotta save him!"

"Why?" inquired Luffy, who was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Long Nose got himself caught by Arlong while Zoro and I were cleaning him out," Ricky answered. "We were on our way to save him when we bumped into you guys."

"We've gotta hurry before they kill him!" Zoro added.

"**He's already dead!"** came a voice. Everyone turned to see Johnny standing there, obviously drawn by the loud noise from the crash. **FWUMP!** Johnny dropped to his knees and started crying, "We're too late. Brother Usopp is dead… NAMI MURDERED HIM!"

Zoro, Yosaku, Sanji, and Luffy all stared in shock, Ricky simply raised his eyebrow.

**-x-**

Back on the shoreline that Mohmoo had crashed into, the villagers from Cocoyashi had gathered there to see what had happened. Among them were Genzo, Nojiko, and Dr. Nako. Mohmoo and the fishmen he had knocked out had sunk into the water and were all still out cold, there was no sign of any of them. "Something took out a chunk of the shoreline here," pointed out one of the villagers as they stared at the large indent Mohmoo had made when he smashed into the shore.

"But there's no sign of a battle," another reasoned, not noticing the bodies of three fishmen, "Not even the smell of gun powder. What happened?"

But then they noticed something coming from a distance, "Look, isn't that a marine ship?" pointed out a villager. He was right, it was a marine ship. A large vessel armed with cannons and filled with a battalion of marines.

"I've never seen that ship before," commented Genzo, who had recovered from his run in with Arlong, "It must not be from around here."

"**Hey lady!"** a boy called out to Nojiko as he ran over. It was Chabo, the boy from Gosa Village. "Did you see the marine ship?"

"You mean that one?" asked Nojiko as she pointed to the approaching vessel.

"The government sent that ship to Gosa to pick us up," Chabo explained.

"To pick you up?" Nojiko repeated.

"Yes, some of the survivors from Gosa contacted the government for help," Chabo answered.

**-x-**

"Is that Arlong Park?" the marine vessel was approaching and getting closer. "We can't allow a pirate to become this powerful. The world will be in danger."

"I think so, Commodore Purin Purin," a marine replied.

"Now listen men," said Commodore Purin Purin as he turned to address the marines on the ship. He had gray hair that was done up in a very eccentric four bun style while still going down to his shoulders. His gray beard matched his hair and was done in a fifth bun. He wore a white marine suit and a green undershirt with a blue tie. Over his shoulders he wore a white marine coat, he didn't have his arms in the sleeves, it was only fastened around his neck and looked like a cape. "Our mission was to safely evacuate the surviving villagers of Gosa Village that was destroyed by Arlong's Pirates. However, having seen that stronghold this pirate has, will our honor allow us to leave it intact?"

"SIR, NO SIR!" chorused the marines.

**-x-**

In Arlong Park, Arlong was being informed of the arrival of the marine vessel.

"Lord Arlong!" called out a pair of fishmen, they were the final two of the group that had been sent out to find One Eye and Blood Donor. "There's a Marine Vessel approaching!"

"Marines?" Arlong repeated. "What unit?"

"The ship said Marine Base Seventy-Seven," the other fishman reported. "They might be here to investigate what happened to Gosa."

"Marine Base Seventy-Seven, a new face," Arlong commented, "Tell him not to try any funny business. Give them two million berries and tell them to get out of here."

"Uh… Lord Arlong… you don't have any treasure left…" a fishman reluctantly reminded him.

"DID YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME?" Arlong hollered. "I'M GONNA KILL THAT ONE-EYED BASTARD! LET'S TAKE CARE OF THESE MARINES SO WE CAN FIND HIM AND KILL HIM!"

**BOOOM! **A cannon fired and a cannonball came flying over the walls of Arlong Park and was headed right for Arlong. **SHOOOOM!**

"They're firing on us!" a fishman exclaimed, "Watch out Lord Arlong!"

But Arlong stayed where he was and tiled his head up, **WHUP!** The ball landed in Arlong mouth, **CHOMP!** Arlong snapped his mouth closed and used his powerful shark fishman jaws to crush the cannonball to pieces. **PTOOOI!** Arlong spat out the remains of the cannonball and looked angry.

"He chewed up a cannonball!" exclaimed a fishman, "What powerful jaws and teeth!"

"Still want to negotiate?" Kuroobi asked Arlong.

"Never mind," Arlong growled, "TO BATTLE!"

"Wait brothers,**smek**," Chew interjected, "We don't need to use so many men to clean up this piece of crap."

"We'll take care of 'em, **nyuu**!" Hachi offered.

"Only an idiot would dare to mess with us," added Kuroobi.

"Hahaha! Those three will give 'em a fight like they've never seen!" laughed a fishman, "Those marines won't last three minutes against our three officers!"

**-x-**

"That was strange," a marine commented, "Commodore, the cannonball we just fired didn't explode."

"Fire another one," Commodore Purin Purin ordered, "Show them we mean business! We have to teach them respect for our authority. Never turn your back on a fishman, especially one like Arlong."

"YES SIR!" chorused the marines as they loaded up the cannon.

**SPLASH!** Chew launched up out of the water and landed on the ship, "FIRE!" the Commodore shouted, but then he noticed Chew, "Belay that!"

**PTOI! **"WATER BULLET!" Chew spat out a concentrated blast of water that struck the marine holding the cannon, **BOOOM!** The marine went crashing down to the ground.

"He's part of Arlong's crew!" a marine exclaimed, "Get him!"

"Wait!" instructed Purin Purin causing Chew to look at him in confusion, "I am Commodore Purin Purin of Marine Base Seventy-Seven. We are an elite fighting unit, feared throughout the sea. It would be easier to just give up…"

**PTOOI!** "WATER BULLET!" Chew shot another blast of water at the Commodore, **BAM!** The blast stuck the Commodore on the chest and sent him crashing to the ground, **THUD!**

"He shot the Commodore!" a marine shouted. "Kill him!"

**KREEECK! THOOOM! **Suddenly the ship started shaking, stopping the marines in their tracks. "What's happening?" asked a worried marine.

"There's a fishman underneath us!" another observed as he stared over the railing of the ship.

**KRESH!** Below the ship, Kuroobi had just ripped off the ship's rudder, leaving the vessel unable to steer.

"We have just removed your rudder,**smek**," Chew explained as he sat down on the railing and made himself comfortable, "and a rudderless ship belongs at the bottom."

"Unnggg…" Purin Purin groaned while a bunch of marines clustered around him. He was still alive, he had numerous internal injures and was bleeding from the mouth. "YOU WHAT?"

"Don't worry," Chew consoled him, "I didn't hit any of your vital organs."

**Rumble… rumble… KREEEEEEESSSHHH!** Meanwhile Hachi was busy pushing a MASSIVE underwater reef that was about half the size of the marine vessel. "I have to move this rock," as he used his six strong octopus arms to push the giant reef into the current.

"What are you bastards doing?" demanded Commodore Purin Purin as he sat up and glared at Chew.

Under the ship Kuroobi was preparing to punch a hole in the hull of the ship, _"Let's make this ship easier to sink,"_ he said to himself. **POW! POW!** Using his immense fishman strength he punched a hole in the hull of the ship, allowing the water to rush in.

"I have a riddle for you, **smek**," Chew announced, not moving from his seat on the railing, "What happens to the ocean if you place a large reef in a strong current? **Smek!**"

"What?" asked a dumb marine, not knowing the answer.

"Moving a whole reef?" repeated Commodore Purin Purin, "That can't be done!"

"Put it over there, Hachi," Kuroobi instructed as he floated in place while Hachi towed the large reef passed him.

The strong current washed over the reef, creating giant waves, and then… something a lot more dangerous…

**SPLASHH! **"THERE'S A WHIRLPOOL IN FRONT OF US!" screamed a marine seeing the fishmen's handiwork.

"I told you we removed your rudder," Chew reminded the marines. "And a rudderless ship belongs at the bottom, **smek!**"

"WE CAN'T STEER! WE'RE BEING SUCKED IN!"

**SWOOOOO! **The water swirled around in front of them, and without the rudder there was no way to alter the vessel's course, it kept going straight ahead, right into the whirlpool.

"See ya," said Chew as he waved to the doomed marines and dove off the side of the ship, **SPLASH!**

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" the marines screamed as the ship entered the whirlpool.

**KRESH! SMASH! WHOOOSH! **The strong water smashed the ship to pieces and then rushed in, pulling the entire vessel and all its passengers deep into the water. Hachi, Kuroobi, and Chew all floated nearby and watched the wreckage. Commodore Purin Purin and Marine Squadron Seventy-Seven were no more.

**-x-**

On shore the gathering villagers had seen the marine ship sink and saw a pillar of smoke going up that marked the ship's resting place at the bottom. "But they were coming to rescue us…" said Chabo in disbelief as he dropped to his knees.

"This is our reality," Nojiko explained, "Nobody escapes Arlong's control."

**-x-**

At Arlong Park, Chew, Kuroobi, and Hachi had returned after successfully drowning and killing the Commodore and his crew of 'elite' marines.

"You're back, and in record time," Arlong observed, the fact that his three officers had just killed a large bunch of humans cheered him up slightly.

"I didn't even break a sweat," Kuroobi bragged, (A/N: How could he tell if he was sweating or not underwater?) "We know everything about these waters, from the winds to the depths. It was quite easy."

"With our expert knowledge of these waters, no one can beat us, **nyuu**!" Hachi added.

"True but, let's not forget Nami's charts, **smek**," Chew reminded him as he held up a rolled up piece of paper that Nami had obviously drawn.

"I checked those right before a moved the reef," said Hachi. "It even tells the flow of the current and everything!"

"Indeed, they are excellent charts," Kuroobi agreed. "If we could get Nami to do this for all the world's oceans we would be the undisputed rulers of all the seas forever!"

"I know, Nami's brilliant," Arlong commented, "She's critical in the creation of the Arlong Empire, it's a shame."

"A shame?" repeated Hachi.

"**Smek,** He promised to let Cocoyashi Village go when she saves up a hundred million berries," Chew explained.

"Oh no, seriously?" exclaimed Hachi. "Whatever you do, you can't let her leave! You can't, say it ain't so boss! **Nyuu!**"

"I have to, that's what we agreed upon eight years ago," Arlong told him. "I'm the kind of man that always keeps his promises when it comes to money. Always!"

**-x-**

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Yosaku.

"It's true," said Johnny as he sat down on the ground. "She was a traitor all along. She's been winning Arlong's favor so she could have the treasure buried in Cocoyashi Village all to herself! That woman is just a cold-blooded killer! She won't stop until she gets what she wants! NAMI HAD US FOOLED THE ENTIRE—"

**WHAP! **"QUIET!" Luffy yelled as he grabbed Johnny by the collar and pulled him up so he could stare him in the face. "SAY ANOTHER WORD AND YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

"Take it easy Luffy," Zoro advised, "this has nothing to do with Johnny."

"I don't care if you don't believe me!" Johnny snapped, "But I know what I saw! NAMI KILLED BROTHER USOPP!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Luffy shouted, he looked furious, "NAMI WOULD NEVER KILL USOPP! SHE'S NAKAMA! SHE'S OUR FRIEND!"

"BUT I SAW IT!" Johnny whined.

"You saw wrong," Ricky stated.

"Yeah!" agreed Sanji. "Miss. Nami would never kill Usopp!"

Ricky glanced at the cook, "I see you decided to join after-all," he observed.

"Got a problem with that, One Eye?" challenged Sanji.

"I don't think you of all people should be calling me One Eye," commented Ricky as he eyed the cook's blond hair which hid his left eye from view. "What was your name again? I only know you as that perverted waiter. I'm not even sure if you can cook decently."

"I'm Sanji and I'm the best cook you're ever likely to find," he bragged.

"Can you fight a fishman?" inquired Ricky.

"Huh?"

"If you had to fight an elite fishman, would you win?" questioned Ricky.

"Of course!" Sanji exclaimed. "Why? Has one of those bastards harmed Miss. Nami? I'LL KILL 'EM!"

"Good enough for me," said Ricky. "Maybe we'll be able to eat something decent for a change."

"Can we get back to the matter at hand please?" asked Zoro.

"Nami killed Usopp! I saw it!" Johnny assured them. Ricky grabbed Luffy by the back of the shirt and pulled him off of Johnny, **FWUMP!** The bounty hunter fell to the ground without Luffy holding him up.

"Did you see the body?" inquired Ricky as he stared down at Johnny.

"What do you mean?" Johnny stared up at the First Mate in confusion.

"Did you see Usopp's corpse?" Ricky clarified. "Did you check if he was dead?"

"Uh… no… Nami kicked him into the water…" admitted Johnny as he slowly sat up.

"If you didn't see his body, then you don't know for certain that she killed him," Ricky reasoned.

"SEE!" Luffy shouted, "Nami would never kill Usopp."

"Then if you're so smart, you tell us what's going on!" Johnny suggested.

"Yeah, cause I'm confused too and I've been here the whole time," said Zoro. "Who's side is…" Zoro cut off when he noticed someone approaching, "Nami?"

"**Hi guys,**" Nami greeted them.

**-x-**

**Sleep**

**-x-**

"Why did you come here?" Nami asked as she approached the Straw Hats and the two Bounty Hunters. She had a black glove on her left hand for some reason.

"What do you mean?" questioned Luffy as he finally let go of Johnny, "You're Nakama. We came to get you."

"What a nuisance," Nami muttered. "Nakama? Don't make me laugh. You're a bunch of pathetic misfits."

"Pathetic misfits that swindled Arlong out of two billion berries," Ricky reminded her.

"I'll get to you… IN A MINUTE!" Nami snapped as she slowly walked closer.

"That witch killed Brother Usopp!" shouted Johnny, he got up and pointed an accusing finger at Nami while she walked closer. "I SAW HER DO IT!"

"Do you want to seek revenge and kill me?" Nami taunted the bounty hunter, she was now within striking distance.

"Huh?" said the bounty hunter, the thought hadn't really crossed his mind.

"I thought we established that until we see a body, we don't know for certain if she killed him," Ricky reminded the bounty hunter.

"But she stabbed him!" Johnny protested. "I saw him! He was covered in blood then she kicked him into the water!"

Ricky stared at the black glove on Nami's hand, it hadn't been there the last time he saw her. "Okay, you make a valid point," Ricky agreed, "maybe she did kill him… but on the other hand…" **POW! **Ricky suddenly spun around and punched Johnny in the nose, he was knocked down and out with that one shot. **THUD!**

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Yosaku demanded.

Ricky reached down and took Johnny's sunglasses and placed them in his top left pocket. "He can have these back when he's proven that he isn't completely incompetent."

"Let me tell you something," said Nami as she walked up to Ricky. "Right now, Arlong is out to kill Zoro and Ricky…" **PUNT! **Nami lashed out her leg and kneed Ricky hard in the balls. Everyone else winced at the look of pain on Ricky's face.

"Unnggg…" Ricky groaned as he dropped down to his knees. "That… was… un… necessary…"

"YOU IDIOTS ANGERED ARLONG!" Nami shouted. "You went and stole all of his treasure and now he's going to kill you and your entire crew. You may have monstrous powers but you're nothing compared to real monsters!"

"I didn't steal it…" Ricky corrected her from down on his knees. "I won it…" **THWAK!** Nami lashed out her leg and kicked Ricky upside the head, sending him sprawling down to the ground.

"If you stay on this island… you will die," said Nami. "So, you have a choice to make between life and death."

"MISS. NAMI!" Sanji swooned with hearts in his eyes, "IT'S ME SANJI, REMEMBER? COME BACK TO US!"

"Can it, Romeo!" Zoro growled. "You'll only complicate things!"

"Love is always complicated!" Sanji argued.

"Nami, where's Usopp?" demanded Zoro.

"With the fishes," Nami answered.

**SKISH!** "Cut the crap!" Zoro growled as he drew his sword and rushed at Nami.

**SWISH!** Sanji ran in front of Zoro and swung his leg at him, Zoro was just barely able to dodge it. "It's no wonder Ricky's the First Mate," Sanji taunted as he glanced down at the First Mate who was still on the ground. He'd taken his beating without even raising a hand in defense. The swordsman was ready to attack Nami with a sword by simply being verbally provoked. "A real man would never attack a lady."

"Idiot!" Zoro snapped, "Can't you see what's happening here? You're starting to piss me off!"

"After your humiliating defeat, it's no wonder you're upset," Sanji commented.

"Watch your mouth or you might lose your head," Zoro threatened him.

"I'll say whatever I want, bastard!" Sanji countered.

Ricky sat up and stared at the two, "We'll they're getting along nicely."

"Brothers! This is no time to be arguing!" Yosaku exclaimed. "This is a catastrophe!"

"He's right," agreed Nami, "Now quit your bickering and leave while you still can. You outsiders have no right to butt into this island's affairs."

"That's what the old mayor at Orange Town said," Ricky reminded her as he got back up, "Look how that turned out."

"Don't you get it yet?" questioned Nami. "The only reason I got close to you was so I could rob you everything you had. Now that you're broke, our friendship is finished. Take your ship, find a navigator dumb enough to join you, continue onto the Grand Line and find that stupid One Piece of yours."

"Alright where to start…" Ricky said mostly to himself. "First, we're not broke. Second, you're our navigator and a valued member of our crew. And third, we're not leaving… because you're Nakama."

"I was only a part of the crew in the first place because I lost that bet!" Nami snapped. **WOMP!** In a flash Nami had drawn her bow staff and whacked Ricky upside the head, once again knocking him down to the ground. "In case you still don't get it… I QUIT!"

**THUD!** Luffy fell backwards and landed on the ground next to his First Mate. That hurt him more than all the hits his brother had taken. "Sleepy…" said Luffy in a weak voice as he closed his eyes.

"BROTHER LUFFY!" exclaimed Yosaku.

"Sleepy," Luffy said again.

"Sleep? At a time like this?" questioned Yosaku, "in the middle of the road?"

"Oh crap," Ricky muttered as he shot an irritated glance at Nami, "Now look what you did." Ricky quickly sat up and turned to Luffy, "Don't worry bro, she didn't mean it. We'll get her back. I promised, remember?" Nami narrowed her eyes at him.

"Then we're not leaving," Luffy decided, "but for now, I'm pretty tired. Night!" **Zzzzzzzzz…**

Ricky, Zoro, Sanji, Yosaku, and Nami all stared down at the sleeping captain. "Nami, we're still here if you need us," Ricky assured her.

Nami clenched her gloved fist and glared at him, "FINE! STAY HERE AND DIE THEN!" she yelled, with that she turned and ran off.

"You guys aren't normal!" Yosaku exclaimed. "Fishmen are monsters! We can't fight them! Arlong's gonna kill us all! We can't just stay here!"

"Then go," instructed Ricky. "If you're too incompetent to handle a fishman you're of no use to us. Take your partner and leave."

"Alright," Yosaku replied, he walked over to Johnny – who was still out cold from when Ricky punched him – and pulled him up off the ground. "We're gonna go then, I don't want to get killed by Arlong."

"Goodbye then," said Zoro.

"Goodbye Brothers," called out Yosaku as he carried off his unconscious partner.

Ricky reached into his pocket and put on his own sunglasses that covered his eye patch, leaving Johnny's sunglasses in his pocket then he laid down on the ground and stared up at the clouds. Seeing how the Captain and the First Mate weren't going to be moving any time soon, Sanji lit another cigarette and took a seat under a tree while Zoro sat down and relaxed. Nami had 'quit', Yosaku and Johnny had left out of fear of facing the monsters, and Usopp was dead. But at least the remaining Straw Hats were gathered.

**-x-**

**TMP!TMP!TMP!** Usopp ran along the shore as fast as he could, he was wearing a gray cloak over his head so he wouldn't be recognized. HE WAS ALIVE!

Usopp thought back to what had happened at Arlong Park. When Nami had stabbed him with the dagger, she really stabbed the back of her hand. It was _Nami's_ blood that Usopp was covered in that made him look like he was dead. Then she kicked him into the waterway and he swam away.

"_It's business, I had no choice,"_ said Nami in Usopp's mind.

"_When she did that," _Usopp thought to himself, _"Nami stabbed her own hand to make it look like she stabbed me. I can't believe she did that for me! It's a good thing she did, otherwise I really would be dead. But what do I do? I can't just turn tail and run after being saved! I'VE GOTTA FIND RICKY AND ZORO! Ricky'll know what to do!"_

As Usopp continued running his sharp eyes spotted a familiar red haired figure lying on the shore staring up at the clouds overhead. Sitting next to him was another familiar figure, this one had green hair. "Is that them? It is! I've gotta tell them what happened!" Usopp ran even faster looking to reach his Nakama as fast as he could.

**-x-**

Further down the shore, the four Straw Hats were still in the same positions from earlier. Luffy was sleeping, Ricky was cloud watching, Zoro was sitting next to him, and Sanji was smoking under a tree.

"Hey," said Sanji, breaking the silence. "Do you think Miss. Nami really killed Usopp?"

"No," Ricky answered bluntly. "Not for a second." Sanji nodded, but Zoro didn't.

"How can you still defend her after the way she was beating you earlier?" asked Zoro. "She looked ready to kill you."

"She was venting her anger," Ricky explained without sitting up. "She knows I'd never fight back. She also knows that it'll take more than a knee to the jewels and a stick to the head to kill me."

"But how do you know she didn't kill him?" questioned Zoro. "She could have. We might not have a body to prove it, but until we see Usopp again, we need to at least entertain that it's a possibility. It's not like Usopp's gonna come running down the beach at any second shouting that he's alive."

"Miss. Nami didn't kill him," Sanji decided. He felt a growing respect for the First Mate for his stance on the issue, but Zoro was starting to get on his nerves by suggesting that someone as lovely as Miss. Nami was a murderer.

"I never trusted her to begin with," said Zoro. "She always struck me as kind of devious."

"Devious?" repeated Sanji as he glared at the swordsman. "MY DARLING MISS NAMI IS NOT A KILLER!" Sanji shot up to his feet and charged at the swordsman.

"Hey guys, we've got company," Ricky observed, he was still staring up at the sky but he heard someone running towards them. Unfortunately, Sanji and Zoro weren't listening.

**TMP!TMP!TMP! "HEY GUYS, I'M ALI—UUNNNGGG…" **Zoro got his sword up to block the cook's kick **THWACK!** Sanji swung his leg around and hit… USOPP!

Usopp's face was smashed between Sanji's foot and Zoro's sword.

"That answered that question," commented Ricky as Usopp fell to the ground.

"He's alive!" Sanji exclaimed in surprise.

"Well he was," replied Zoro at seeing the marksman's squished face. "I hope he still is."

**-x-**

**CRASH!** Nojiko looked up from the tangerines she was picking when she heard a loud crash coming from inside her house. She picked up the basket that she had gathered so far and brought them inside as she went to investigate.

Inside Nami sitting at the table resting her head in her hand, a map was out in front of her. The small house looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Chairs had been knocked over, books were thrown on the floor, most of the windows had been smashed, and Nojiko spotted a broken vase next to the table.

"Wow Nami, you really know how to trash a place," Nojiko commented as she made her presence known. She noticed Nami still hadn't moved from her seat at the table. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just resting a little," Nami replied.

Nojiko walked into the house and picked up a chair on the other side of the table and sat in it. "You mean to tell me pouring over a treasure map after wrecking a house is how you relax? You're not fooling me, now 'fess up already, what's bothering you?"

"Something happened that made me mad, it's nothing," Nami answered.

"Those guys, who are they?" asked Nojiko.

Nami looked up in surprise. "You know?"

"Yeah, I met some Captain guy," Nojiko told her, "His story struck me as kind of colorful though. Nami, I heard you were happy when you were with them. You know that's rare for you. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen you smile in years. Come on, tell me who these guys are. You can tell me anything, remember?"

"I had planned to forget them," said Nami. "I thought I could just… erase them from my mind. But the more I tried to erase them, the more I remembered."

Nami thought back to when the Straw Hats had entered her life and how Ricky had literally fallen out of the sky and turned her life upside down. She remembered all the happy times they'd shared as remembered Ricky finding that hidden treasure in the cave at Gaimon's Island, their 'Paint War', and Luffy being force-fed 'contaminated' water.

**-x-**

Nami, Ricky, Luffy, and Usopp were sitting in a circle on the front deck of the Going Merry playing cards, Zoro was off to the side sleeping.

"I'll take two," Nami requested.

Ricky, who was acting as dealer, dealt her the two cards. They were playing 5-Card Draw Poker or at least most of them were. Next to Nami, Luffy was holding eleven cards.

Nami frowned at her cards, she didn't have anything decent. That needed to change.

"Hey, LOOK AT THAT AWESOME THING OVER THERE!" Nami exclaimed as she pointed at something behind Ricky. Ricky, Luffy, and Usopp all turned to look at the 'awesome' thing that she was pointing at and Nami quickly grabbed the deck and started going through it in search for a winning hand.

But while she was preoccupied with the deck, she didn't notice Ricky's conversation with Luffy.

"What've you got Luffy?" Ricky asked.

"I'm not doing so well," Luffy admitted, "A lot of my cards are the same. I've got three of these 'K' cards and two 'A's'."

"Got any 'Q's'?" questioned Ricky.

"Go Fish," Luffy replied, completely clueless about what they were playing.

"I'll trade you a 2, a 5, and a 9 for your three K's," Ricky offered, "That way you'll have a lot of different cards."

"Deal," Luffy agreed and they traded cards.

"THERE'S NOTHING OVER THERE!" Usopp finally realized as he turned and glared back at Nami.

"Oh, I was sure a saw something," Nami commented, as she quickly put the deck back down where she'd gotten it from. Nami smiled, she'd gotten the cards she needed. "I'VE GOT FOUR QUEENS!" Nami slammed her five cards down on the deck in front of her and displayed the four 'Q's' and the 3.

"Damn," Usopp cursed, as he threw down his cards, "I only had a pair of fours, a pair of Jacks, and a 6."

"Four Kings," Ricky stated as he put down his four cards.

"WHAT?" Nami demanded, SHE'D BEEN OUT CHEATED! "THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN A HAND LIKE THAT!"

"Like you're one to talk Miss. 'Look-at-that-awesome-thing-over-there'," Ricky retorted, "what's the matter? Couldn't find any Aces?" Nami didn't dignify him with a response, she'd only found two Aces in the deck, Four-of-a-Kind was better than a Full House. "That's cause Luffy over there has half of them."

"WHAT?" Usopp exclaimed, "YOU **BOTH** CHEATED!"

Ricky cast a glance at Luffy, who was still oblivious holding his eleven cards, "Apparently, you're the only one who didn't," he pointed out.

Usopp's eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped and hit he deck. Luffy burst out laughing seeing Usopp's funny face, "HAHAHAHAHA!"

Then, to Nami's shock, Ricky followed his brother's example and let out a short bark of laughter at their Nakama's shocked expression, "Hah-ha!"

Seeing Luffy AND RICKY laughing, Nami couldn't help joining in. "HEHEHEHEHE!"

"YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF CHEATERS!" Usopp shouted in indignation.

**-x-**

They were sailing for the Baratie in search of a cook and were currently sailing through a storm. **SPLURRT!** The new ship hadn't been tested yet and water suddenly started pouring in through a hole that formed in the wall of the men's quarters.

"HOLY CRAP!" Usopp exclaimed. "WE SPRANG A LEAK!"

"Hurry up and fix it!" Nami ordered as Usopp and Zoro tried plugging up the leak with their hands.

"This requires specialist equipment," said Ricky, he grabbed the Captain and shoved Usopp and Zoro out of the way, then forced Luffy's mouth down on top of the water. "Just suck it up…" The rubber captain started inflating like a water balloon as he swallowed the water flowing into the room.

"HEHEHEHE!" Nami laughed at Ricky's very lame pun.

"GURGLE! GURGLE!" said Luffy, who couldn't speak over the water.

"Usopp, get me a hammer, nails, and some wooden boards, it's only a matter of time before HE springs a leak." **SPLURT!** Luffy suddenly went flying off of the hole in the wall and the water started flowing in even faster.

"Damn it, you jinxed it!" Zoro growled.

**BOOOOM!** The room filled with water and the five Straw Hats came flying out onto the deck and into the storm, Nami was laughing at the odd situation she had found herself in.

**-x-**

"The truth is," Nami confessed, "When I was with them, the only thing I forgot was the pain that I bare."

"_HOW COULD YOU ATTACK YOUR OWN CREW?" Luffy hollered as he fought Captain Kuro while the fake butler slashed up his own men._

_Luffy ignored the pain and the blood, then reached out and grabbed… something. __**THOOM! **__Luffy quickly spun around and threw Kuro into the wall of the pass._

_**WHONK!**__ Usopp got bashed on the head with a stone mallet but refused to give up the fight for his village._

_The Nyaban Brothers rushed forward and lashed out their claws at a rapid speed. __**SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! **__Ricky and Zoro quickly blocked the incoming strikes, __**KRANG! KLANK! KLANG! **__The two swordsmen on the crew were fighting the terrifying duo to keep Nami and Usopp safe._

_Ricky spun around in midair holding his sword in front of him and slashed the two Nyabans and he flew passed, __**SLA-SLISH! **__Zoro followed after Ricky and slashed two cat-pirates with all three of his swords. __**SLOSH! **_

_Nami opened her eyes and was relieved to see Ricky standing in front of her holding the attacking Black Cat Pirate up by the throat. "You wanna lay a hand on my Nakama, you're gonna have to go through me."_

"_Promise me you guys won't try to fight him," Nami demanded as she stared at Ricky, "Promise me you won't get yourselves killed."_

"_I can't do that," Ricky refused. "I don't go back on my word. But I will promise you this, we're Nakama, and we'll help you if you need us." With that he lunged backwards and flew over the railing and off the boat. He plummeted into the water below the ship, __**SPLASH!**_

Nami fondly remembered them all, Zoro and that cocky never-say-die attitude, Usopp and his dream to become a brave adventurer, the happy-go-lucky Luffy and his obsession with his hat, and Ricky with that foxy grin of his when he knew something she didn't. Finally she remembered how happy she had been on board that crew.

"If it were possible, I'd join up with those guys and sail around the world," Nami admitted. But now she was back on Commi Island, back were Arlong had control of her, back where she was trying to save up 100,000,000 berries to save her village.

At one point Nami had fallen asleep, Nojiko covered her with a blanket, happy that she knew the whole story. "I see," said Nojiko, at one point Nami had slipped off her glove to reveal the bandaged wound on the back of her hand. She had told her sister everything. "That's why she was in such a bad mood, to think that people actually came to get her._ Friends_, for this girl, that's the most painful word there is."

**-x-**

Ricky stood up and put away his sunglasses then walked over to Luffy so he was standing beside the sleeping Captain, "I wonder what I'm going to do with all of this **meat**."

"MEAT? Where?" questioned Luffy as he jerked awake, then he noticed Usopp, beat up and on the ground. "UUUSSSOOOPPP! Did Nami do this to you?"

"Uh… actually…that's our fault," Sanji admitted sheepishly.

"No, it's _your_ fault," Zoro corrected him.

Ricky walked over to Usopp and held a hand over his nose and mouth, the marksman started coughing due to the lack of air and quickly woke up. He glared at Ricky, but then noticed Luffy standing next to him.

"L-luffy!" Usopp exclaimed. "YOU'RE HERE!"

"I'm here too, buddy," Sanji greeted him with a smile.

"I'LL KILL YOU ONE DAY!" Usopp snarled still angry about being kicked in the face.

"What happened?" asked Ricky, cutting to the chase.

"Oh, it's Nami," Usopp explained. "She saved me. She only made it look like she killed me, that way Arlong wouldn't _actually_ kill me. There's something weird going on here, why is Nami working for the fishmen?"

Deciding to trade Intel, Ricky told Usopp what he knew. "She's trying to buy her village from Arlong," Ricky informed him. "She draws maps and charts for Arlong and in return he's allowing her to pay one hundred million berries to buy her village."

"Those fishmen are horrible!" Usopp exclaimed, "Arlong was planning on killing the Mayor of Cocoyashi Village just for having a sword. If that's the way the fishmen treat all the humans on this island, it's no wonder Nami wants to buy her village."

"That's what I figured," Ricky replied.

"But there's one thing then," Usopp commented, "All the people here think that Nami is some kind of witch. If she's working for Arlong to buy their freedom wouldn't she be some kind of hero?"

"I don't know," Ricky admitted, "as Nami so graciously pointed out before kicking me in the jewels, we don't know everything that's going on here."

"So what do we do?" asked Luffy.

"I'll make this simple so all of you can understand," Ricky began to say as he turned to address the Straw Hats. "Nami's working for Arlong to save her village. But I'm sure Arlong won't let her go without a fight, so we need to give him one."

Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro were all staring at Ricky listening intently. "Usopp, Nami saved your life, are you gonna repay her by letting her spend the rest of her life working for a horrible fishman like Arlong?"

"NO! I'll fight!" Usopp answered.

Ricky turned to the captain, "Luffy, are you gonna let that fish continue to torment our Nakama?"

"HELL NO! I'LL KICK HIS ASS!" Luffy hollered.

Ricky turned to Sanji, "Sanji, same question."

"I'LL SERVE THOSE FISH BASTARDS UP AS A SEAFOOD PLATTER FOR DARING TO HURT MY BELOVED MISS. NAMI!"

Finally Ricky addressed Zoro, "Looks like Sanji's in, you're not gonna let him show you up, are you?"

"No way!" Zoro replied. "I could beat more fishmen than him, even with only one sword! Hell, I already beat half of them!"

Ricky smiled, once again one of his pre-fight pep-talks had succeeded in working up the whole crew.

"Arlong's been terrorizing this island for eight years," Ricky continued, "I say, that's eight years too many. If we're gonna get Nami back, we need to beat Arlong." Ricky once again turned to the captain, "Luffy, Arlong isn't the captain of this crew because he's a pushover. He's probably at a completely different level than the rest of the fishmen. Either you'll have to beat him, or I'll give it a shot."

"LEAVE IT ME!" Luffy assured him as he slammed his fists together. "I'LL CLOBBER THAT FISH-GUY!"

"**It's no use,**" came the voice of Nojiko, "You'll never defeat Arlong."

"Nojiko?" questioned Usopp.

"Who's that?" asked Luffy.

"Damn it," Ricky grumbled as he cast an irritated glance at Nojiko, "I had them all worked up too. Let's see, tattoos, blue hair, smells like tangerines… difficult to deal with… you must be Nami's sister. Arlong doesn't speak very highly of you."

"Aren't you the smart one," Nojiko remarked. "Red hair and too smart for his own good… you must be that annoyingly infuriating one-eyed treasure hunter that fell from the sky. Nami mentioned you quite a bit."

"One Eye Ricky Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire, at your service," Ricky replied with a slight bow.

"Miss. Nami's sister!" Sanji swooned, as he turned to look at the blue haired woman with hearts in his eyes, "No wonder she's so beautiful!"

"No use?" repeated Zoro, "How come? From what I've seen, we can take 'em."

"Just trust me," said Nojiko. "Don't get yourselves involved with what's going on here. And leave poor Nami alone. I'll explain the situation."

"Situation?" repeated Sanji.

"Do you mean you can tell us why she joined up with Arlong?" asked Usopp.

"Yeah," answered Nojiko, "and if that doesn't get you to leave, I don't know what will."

**-x-**

"There's another marine ship approaching!" a villager announced as a marine ship sailed closer to the shore.

"It's from Marine Base 16," another villager commented, "Looks like they decided to get involved after what happened to Marine Unit 77."

Eventually a bunch of marines came off of the ship, with a somewhat familiar officer in front. Captain Nezumi let out a weasel-like laugh then called out to the villagers, "Hyk hyk hyk! I am Captain Nezumi of Marine Base 16," said Nezumi as he introduced himself, "I want to see Genzo, the Mayor of Cocoyashi Village."

"I am Genzo," said the scarred old man with the pinwheel on his head.

"Can you tell me where to find a woman called Nami?" asked Nezumi.

**-x-**

You'll learn the truth about Nami next chapter, and how Nami joined Arlong's Crew to make her first step towards a dream.

'Till next Time…

Peace!


	33. Chapter 32

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** This chapter is going to be a little long. I wanted to get Nami's character origin flashback done all in one chapter, so it's basically three manga chapters as opposed to my usual two.

**The First Step Toward a Dream**

**-x-**

"I'll pass," Luffy bluntly announced, "I don't care about her past." Luffy then turned and walked off, "I'm going for a walk. We'll beat up that fish-guy later."

"A walk?" repeated Usopp. "Do you mean you're not gonna listen to this?"

"Nope," Luffy answered as he left.

"What's with him?" asked Nojiko.

"That's just how he is," Zoro replied as he sat down against a tree. "We'll listen to your story, but I doubt it'll change anything."

"Well I'll listen too," Usopp told her. "It might help make some sense out of what's going on around here."

"Me too!" Sanji swooned, "I wanna know _all_ about her."

"Not gonna lie, that was kind of creepy," Ricky commented, "And Zoro just fell asleep."

**Zzzzzzzzzz… **Zoro was sound asleep against the tree, so much for him listening to the story.

"HEY, YOU SAID YOU'D LISTEN, STUPID!" Usopp scolded him.

"And what about you… Ricky?" asked Nojiko.

"Would you be surprised if I said I knew most of it already?" he inquired.

"Not really," Nojiko admitted.

"I think I'll go for a walk too," Ricky decided, "Which way is Cocoyashi Village?"

"Its north of here," Nojiko informed him.

"Might as well see the village Nami's going through so much trouble for," Ricky reasoned. "Besides, nothing you can tell me will get me to leave. I promised her I'd come for her and I swore to Luffy I'd get her to rejoin the crew. I wouldn't want to give you any false hope." With that he turned and headed off.

Nojiko watched Luffy and Ricky walk off, then glanced at the sleeping Zoro, and then at Usopp and Sanji, _"No wonder Nami is having such a hard time,"_ Nojiko said to herself.

**-x-**

"Well that's really strange," Hachi commented as he lifted a bunch of wood. Three of the fishmen that Arlong had sent out to kill the two humans had reported that they were crushed by Mohmoo and a ship. Arlong's three officers had been sent out to investigate. The three officers were now by the plateau that Luffy's boat had crashing into and were investigating the remains of the small wooden vessel. "I've never seen a ship fall out of the sky before, **nyu!**"

"Yeah, me neither," Kuroobi agreed. "It appears that we have some unusual visitors."

"The question is, **smek**, why are they here?" wondered Chew.

**Tmp!Tmp!Tmp!** Just then Hachi spotted a human walking passed on the road, he wore a red vest, blue shorts, sandals, and a straw hat. Luffy's walk had taken him on a road passed Arlong's three officers.

"Hey you guys, he's not from this island!" Hachi realized.

Luffy kept walking and found his path blocked by three big figures that were about twice his size. One was pink and had six arms and trumpet-shaped lips. Another was blue with puckered lips. The third was white, had a long black braid, and had big fins on his arms.

"Oh wow, they must be fishmen," Luffy said to himself as he kept walking, not the least bit intimidated. Luffy walked right passed without batting an eye.

"HEY YOU THERE, WAIT!" Hachi called after him, a little surprised at being ignored.

"Huh, you mean me?" asked Luffy as he turned around and faced the three fishmen.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Hachi asked. "AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THIS ISLAND?"

"Why, what does it matter to you?" questioned Luffy.

"Well it's just that we, **nyu,** don't get many visitors," Hachi explained.

"Oh, well my name's Luffy," Luffy introduced himself. "I'm just passing through." With that he turned back around and kept walking.

"Huh, passing through?" repeated Hachi, "WELL HAVE A NICE TIME! **NYU!**" Hachi called after him as he waved his six arms in farewell.

"Hey smartass, where're you going?" Kuroobi inquired.

"The heck if I know," Luffy replied, he was just wandering around.

"Hahahaha!" Hachi laughed, "He seems like he'd be a fun guy to have around! **Nyu!**"

"Yeah sure, **smek**, but who the hell is he?" Chew wondered.

"He walked right by us and wasn't even intimidated," Kuroobi commented. "I've never seen that before."

The three officers stared after the strange human as he walked off.

**-x-**

**KREK! **A few minutes later, Nami was woken up by the sound of the door opening, "I must have dozed off," Nami said to herself then she turned to the door, "Nojiko?"

"**Not exactly,**" came Ricky's voice as he walked over and picked up a chair and moved it next to Nami's. He sat down then took off his sunglasses and put them in his top left pocket.

"How'd you get here? Where's Nojiko?" Nami demanded.

"I figured your house would be the one surrounded by a tangerine grove," Ricky replied with a casual shrug. "What, no 'hello'? No, 'Hi Ricky, sorry about kicking you in the jewels before'?"

"You're being stupid!" Nami snapped. "Arlong's going to kill you!"

"Better fishmen than him have tried," Ricky said dismissively. "Nojiko is down by the shore explaining your story to Sanji and Usopp. Nice job killing him by the way, you had the bounty hunters and Zoro fooled, although Zoro never trusted you to begin with."

"Well, that's not too hard," Nami said, "He's not exactly—wait… just Usopp and Sanji?"

"Luffy went for a walk and Zoro went to sleep," explained Ricky with a shrug. "They don't care about details."

"Don't you?"

"Yes, but I figured you'd tell me."

"And what makes you think I'll do that?"

"Because, I'm here, and I'll listen," Ricky offered as he reached out and took a tangerine out of the bowl on the table. "What's the difference between a tangerine and an orange anyway?"

"A tangerine is about half the size of an orange and isn't as round, but it's sweeter and has a different taste," Nami answered automatically, she'd grown up beside a tangerine grove after-all.

Ricky peeled the tangerine then took a bite from it. "Hmm… this is pretty good."

"You're supposed to separate the segments, you idiot," Nami scolded him.

"Would that make it taste any different?"

"No."

"Then why do I need to separate it?"

"How can you just come in here and eat my tangerines?" Nami demanded. "I betrayed you. I stole your treasure. Fishmen are out to kill you."

"I _gave_ you my treasure," Ricky corrected her as he continued to eat the tangerine. "You're Nakama."

"But I stole treasure from those bounty hunters too," Nami added, hoping to convince him to leave.

"Who hasn't?" Ricky replied with a shrug. "I used the money I stole from them and an emerald I got from Buggy to pay Arlong not to kill us."

Nami stared at Ricky in surprise. "No wonder it didn't seem like that much."

"I'm surprised they managed to get as much as they had," Ricky commented as he finished the tangerine. "They're horribly incompetent."

It was silent for a moment, Ricky reached out to take another tangerine from the bowl, **Whap!** Nami slapped his hand and stopped him. "If you're gonna keep eating those you'll have to pay for them," she informed him. "They're the only way Nojiko makes money."

Ricky stared at Nami then reached down into his bottom left pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He placed them on the table then took another tangerine. Nami watched him as he peeled the tangerine but this time he separated it into the segments. Ricky didn't seem bothered by the somewhat awkward silence, but Nami was.

"So you don't care that I betrayed you?" she asked.

"I know why you _betrayed_ us," Ricky replied with an indifferent shrug. "But you're Nakama so it doesn't matter. If you told the rest of the crew what was going on, they would have _given_ you the rest of our treasure and would've helped you get more."

"Why _did_ you do that?"

"You need it more than I do. Do you even know what 'Nakama' means?"

"It's that thing that you and Luffy always go on about. I'm assuming it means crewmates."

"It's more than that," explained Ricky. "When you're Nakama, you're closer than family, you share a special bond with the rest of your crew. Luffy's not just my brother, he's even closer than that. When you're a pirate, you can't trust many people, the only people you can truly rely on are your Nakama."

"But you _can't_ trust me, I betrayed you," Nami reminded him.

Ricky shook his head, "None of us care. You forgive your family so you forgive your Nakama. People make mistakes but when you're Nakama no one holds them against you. You learn to look passed the mistakes and forgive your crewmates because those people are precious to you."

"So you don't care that I betrayed you because we're supposedly _Nakama_?"

"We _are_ Nakama," Ricky corrected her. "All of us, even Usopp, would be willing to take bullets for you at a second's notice. We'll do anything within our power to help you achieve your dreams. All of us are willing to go out and risk our lives to take down Arlong. Because you're Nakama. You're not just a navigator, not when our crew is concerned."

Nami had gone silent and stared at the table in front of her. She could only vividly remember one person that would do those sort of things for her. "That's what she was like," Nami said in a voice that was almost a whisper, but naturally, Ricky heard it.

"Who?" questioned Ricky as he ate the last of the tangerine.

"Bellemere… my adoptive mother," Nami explained surprised Ricky had heard her. "When she was alive she said she'd do anything for Nojiko and me, even though she wasn't our real mother, that's why she's dead."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Ricky.

"No," Nami answered.

Ricky got up and for a split second Nami thought he was going to leave but she should've known better. A moment later Ricky sat back down and placed a cracked picture frame on the table.

"I take it that's her," observed Ricky as he stared at the picture of an orange haired girl, a blue haired girl, and a purple haired woman.

"Yeah," Nami replied, "that's Bellemere. She's dead now."

"Look how cute you are when you're laughing," Ricky remarked, he was smiling slightly.

"Hmph," Nami grumbled, "you're not the first person to think that."

"Well, if you're not gonna tell me about here, I guess I'll just have to sit here and eat all of your tangerines," Ricky decided with an indifferent shrug. To prove his point, he grabbed another tangerine and peeled it, then began eating it. To cut off any arguments, he placed another wad of bills on the table in front of him, that way it covered any tangerines he ate.

Nami stared at Ricky, he wasn't leaving. She sighed and started her story, "Nojiko and I were both orphans," said Nami as she began telling him about her 'mother'. "Bellemere was our adoptive mother but we were really poor. Nojiko and I had to resort to stealing things that we wanted because Bellemere couldn't afford them."

"And yet, I'm a better thief than you," Ricky commented.

"Well I guess the story begins this one time where I got caught…"

**-Nami's Origin Flashback-**

Nami was ten years old and was wearing a yellow and green dress, she was currently in a bookstore and was staring up at a shelf that was way over her head. "Now, if I can just get that book," commented Nami as she stared up at the top shelf. From her short perspective it was practically touching the ceiling. Nami checked to make sure the coast was clear then quickly scaled the ladder and grabbed the book she wanted off of the top shelf. She quickly climbed back down, slipping the book that was half as big as she was into her dress along the way. **Tmp! **Nami stepped off of the ladder and wrapped her arms around the book and turned to go, clearly Nami had been stealing all her life.

"Hey, is that you Nami?" called out the old woman that ran the bookstore. "Do you need any help there?"

Nami flashed the woman her cutest smile and slowly started towards the door, "Hehehe," she laughed, "No, I'm just looking!" She quickly slid the book around so it was in the back of her dress and hoped the old woman wouldn't notice it. "I'll be going now!"

The woman stared after her, just because she was old, didn't mean she was stupid, or blind. She didn't cause a fuss because she noticed something behind the little girl that the girl clearly didn't. "Hehehehe!" Nami continued as she backed up towards the door. **THUD!** She bumped into a tall person standing behind her and she was so surprised that she dropped her stolen book **THUD! **Nami cast a reluctant glance behind her and saw a tall black haired main wearing a purple outfit and a purple hat with a pinwheel on top of it. It was Genzo, but the Mayor's scars were missing.

"DAMN IT NAMI! NOT AGAIN!" Genzo shouted, clearly this was a regular occurrence.

"Sticky fingers, eh Nami?" Genzo taunted a few minutes later as she carried Nami through Cocoyashi Village by the scuff of her neck, just like a bad behaved cat.

"PUT ME DOWN! I'M NOT A CAT!" Nami complained.

"Not again, she'll never learn," muttered a villager that Genzo carried Nami passed, the whole village seemed to know about Nami's less-than-legal tendencies.

"You little urchin, how many times do I have to tell you that stealing is wrong?" Genzo scolded her.

"How else am I gonna get what I need?" asked Nami. "I don't have any money! CHEAPSKATE!" Genzo carried Nami all the way home, up to a house in the middle of a tangerine orchard.

**KNOCK! KNOCK! **"BELLEMERE!" Genzo called out as he knocked on the door. "BELLEMERE, I CAUGHT HER STEALING AGAIN!" **KNOCK! KNOCK!** "Now, open this door!"

**Krek…** The door was opened to reveal a purple-haired woman, her purple hair was shaved along the sides but in the middle it has a lot longer and went down to her back. She wore tight black pants and a plaid blue button-down shirt with the work 'MACE' on it. Bellemere was smoking a cigarette and didn't seem all that surprised to see them. "You're back," she observed when she noticed the ten year old cat… uh… girl. "That was a quick trip."

"I got a ride!" Nami replied with a big smile. "Hehehe!"

"Listen, you better get control of her before she winds up in a jail cell," Genzo advised as he finally put Nami down.

"Thanks for the advice," said Bellemere, as she reached out and patted the man on the cheek, "Haven't you ever seen something you've wanted and just taken it?"

"You're the reason she acts this way!" Genzo exclaimed.

"Relax, I'm just kidding," Bellemere assured him, she tilted his chin up and lightly stroked his face, "I hope you were kind enough to pay for it. I don't have money to pay you back, but I'll do it somehow." Genzo blushed bright red at what that implied, "Does that sound good?"

Before he was overwhelmed Genzo quickly bounced away from her, "You can't say that!" Genzo snapped while Nami and Bellemere laughed from the doorway.

"Hehehe, look, he's as red as a beet," Bellemere laughed. Once he was gone, Bellemere knelt down next to the still laughing and clearly still in trouble thief, "Eh-hem, laugh it up while you can, Nami." **BONK! **A second later Nami was holding her head, "Do that one more time and you won't be able to sit for a week!"

"I'm sorry," Nami apologized as she held the lump that was on her head. "It's just that I really need that book Bellemere." The book was on Navigation and had whole bunch of charts and nautical knowledge in it. Even at a young age Nami seemed to love the sea.

"Then why didn't you ask me if I would buy it for you?" questioned Bellemere.

"Because I know you can't afford it," Nami answered.

"Of course I can," Bellemere told her. "There's money left over from the last harvest."

"Way to go Nami!" a thirteen year old Nojiko teased her adopted sister, she wore a light blue overall dress and a dark blue t-shirt underneath, and still had a red band on her head. "If I had stolen it, there's no way I would've been caught!"

**BONK! BONK!** Now Nami _and Nojiko_ were nursing lumps their heads. "No more stealing!" Bellemere scolded them.

"I was just joking!" Nojiko whined.

"That really hurt!" Nami complained.

"Hehehehe, I'm sorry," Bellemere apologized with a laugh. "But one thing's for sure. The maps you draw are amazing Nami!" Bellemere unfolded a map that Nami had drawn, "I see you can draw land maps as well as sea charts."

"That's a map of our island, isn't it?" observed Nojiko.

"No one would ever believe that Nami drew this all by herself," Bellemere commented as she patted Nami on the head.

"Hehehe!" Nami giggled, "I wanted the book so I could start to study Navigation."

"Navigation?" repeated Bellemere and Nojiko.

"That's right!" Nami replied. "I'm gonna guide ships around all the oceans of the world. It'll be great! And I'll be able to make maps of all the far off places I go and then I'll draw a map of the whole world! Hehehe!"

Bellemere held up Nami's map of Commi Island, "So, this map is the first step towards realizing your dream, is that right?"

"Um hmm!" Nami answered with a big smile.

"A world map," Bellemere remarked, "Nami, you're dream is going to come true. I have no doubt."

They were poor but still lived together as a happy family. Bellemere didn't have much money and rarely ate anything other than tangerines, but she made sure Nami and Nojiko ate healthy.

"Aaand, here you go Nami! All done!" Bellemere announced as she held up a pink clearly second hand dress. On the middle was a lion that looked a lot like a sunflower. The words 'I am Lion' were sewn onto the front of it. "A Bellemere one-of-a-kind original!"

"Oh great, a hand-me-down," Nami grumbled, not as thrilled as Bellemere was.

"Yeah, but it fits you," Bellemere pointed out.

"The lion used to be a sunflower!" Nami protested.

"Quiet complaining," Nojiko scolded her, "You need to take my hand-me-downs or you won't get any new clothes."

"But it's not fair!" Nami argued. "You get new clothes all the time and mine are all used!"

"I get old clothes too, you know!" Nojiko reminded her. Bellemere stepped away from the two arguing girls and went back to the table. "So just suck it up and take what you get, understand?"

"We didn't come from the same parents anyway!" Nami snapped. "WE'RE NOT REAL SISTERS, SO WHO CARES?"

Bellemere's eyes narrowed and she swung her hand, **SWAK!** The 'lion' dress went flying and Nami went crashing to the ground after getting hit. "So what if you don't have the same parents?" asked Bellemere. "I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

"I… don't care…" Nami cried as she held her cheek were Bellemere had slapped her, "YOU'RE NOT EVEN OUR REAL MOTHER! YOU'RE JUST SOME LADY WHO'S TAKING CARE OF US! I WISH WE HAD NEVER COME HERE SO YOU COULD BUY CLOTHES AND FOOD FOR YOURSELF! YOU'D BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT US, WOULDN'T YOU? THAT WAY YOU COULD BE SELFISH AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! I WISH A RICH WOMAN WOULD'VE ADOPTED US INSTEAD OF A STINKY LOSER LIKE YOU!"

Bellemere stood there wide-eyed and was visibly restraining her anger. "Well fine! If you hate it here so much, you can find some place else to live. I didn't sign up for this."

"STOP FIGHTING! PLEASE, JUST STOP!" Nojiko called out, trying to restore order.

"I'M NEVER COMING BACK!" Nami yelled as she ran out the door crying. It was raining out but she ignored it as well as Nojiko calling after her.

A few minutes later, Bellemere had calmed down and was sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette. "Bellemere… the three of us are a family, that's the truth!" Nojiko assured her. "You know Nami feels the same, no matter what she said."

Bellemere smiled, "Look who's being the adult here. I blew up, and you're the level headed one. Why don't you go find Nami, I'll make something special for dinner and we can all make up, okay?" Nojiko nodded and left to find her sister.

**-x-**

The rain had stopped and Nami had run away to Cocoyashi Village. Genzo had taken her in and dried her off and gave her a warm cup of milk. "Hahahaha," Genzo laughed, "so you've run away from home and come to the village, now what's the plan?"

"Bellemere would be so much happier is she didn't have to take care of us," Nami mumbled..

"Why would you say that?" asked Genzo.

"Well you need a lot of money to take care of two kids," Nami reasoned. "And because of me, the whole village hates her right now."

"That's progress," Genzo commented. "At least you're considering others. Don't worry, when Bellemere was your age, she was a complete nightmare. Even now the villagers look at her as some kind of a screw up. So you can imagine how surprised everyone in the village was when she joined up with the marines."

"Bellemere was in the marines?" questioned Nami.

"That's right," Genzo replied. "She said she couldn't stand by and do nothing while pirates killed innocent people. Then she left he village…"

**-Bellemere's Flashback within the Flashback-**

Bellemere was a marine on a strange island attempting to defend it from pirates, unfortunately, the lost. Bellemere was on the brink of death, with destroyed buildings and dead people all around her.

"_If this is the end… then so be it,"_ Bellemere thought to herself, she was ready to die. But then she heard something.

Bellemere looked up and saw a small blue-haired girl carrying a bundle in her arms. Bellemere pushed herself up to get a better look and saw that the bundle was an orange haired baby girl, and the baby girl was happy.

"Your sister?" asked Bellemere, using almost all her strength to stay conscious.

Little Nojiko turned and saw a battered marine walking towards her. Nojiko shook her head in response, "I found her," she answered.

Bellemere dropped to her knees next to the small girl, she reached out and rubbed the baby girls cheek, "Hehehehe!" giggled the baby, despite all the destruction and death that had gone on around her, she was still perfectly innocent and happy.

That innocent child was Nami, and seeing her gave Bellemere the will to live again. Bellemere braved a storm in a small boat and attempted to get back to Commi Island, it was cold, windy, and wet, and the two little girls wouldn't survive for long.

Bellemere arrived and called for a doctor for the two girls, she had decided to raise the two as her own. She, Nojiko, and Nami were going to a family. Just when she was about to give up, she found a reason to live again, she was going be a mother. She was an immature delinquent herself, but the three of them were going to be a family. Nothing could stop her from raising the two girls, and nothing would stop her from raising them to be wonderful girls.

**-End of Bellemere's Flashback-**

"The bond between the three of you girls goes far deeper than any normal family," Genzo explained.

"Nami, I thought I'd find you here!" Nojiko exclaimed as she ran inside. "Come on, Bellemere's waiting for us. She's making us a special supper. I think she's making your favorite, omelets in tangerine sauce!"

"YAY!" Nami cheered as the two girls left and ran for home, "I LOVE OMELETS! HEHEHEHE!"

**-End of part 1 of Nami's Origin Flashback-**

**(A/N: For those of you that were wondering if Ricky knew who Luffy and Ace's fathers were, read this next section carefully and you'll have your answer.)**

"She sounded amazing," Ricky commented.

"She was," replied Nami with a small smile.

"She might not have been you're real mother," said Ricky, "but from what I can tell, you got a lot of your personality from her. Not that it means anything, but I'm in the same boat you are. My mother died when I was three and I never knew my father."

"So… you and Luffy aren't real brothers?" asked Nami.

"No, but you of all people would understand that that hardly matters," Ricky replied. "I'm actually the middle child of my weird little family, Luffy and I have two older brothers. I was raised by my Aunt in her tavern and that's where I met Luffy. All he had was his grandpa, so we became brothers. It didn't matter that we weren't blood related, we were family. When I was nine, Luffy's grandpa, who's a Vice Admiral in the Marines, brought us to live with our foster mother who was the head of a clan of mountain bandits. That's when we met our older brothers. They both knew of their parentage, but we still didn't. But it didn't matter. The four of us were a family. Our foster mother actually liked me best because I wasn't opposed to stealing and swindling. She was like the mother I never had a chance to know. She encouraged me and helped me to enhance my skills with swindling and stealing."

"Who would've thought we'd have so much in common," Nami remarked. That was most she'd learned about Ricky since she joined the crew.

"Enough about me though, continue your story," Ricky insisted.

"Well… it only gets worse," said Nami. "We never made it home, because that was the day Arlong showed up."

**-x-**

**Bellemere**

**-Nami's Origin Flashback Part 2-**

Arlong and his fishmen pirates arrived from the Grand Line, Genzo told Nami and Nojiko to go and hide in the woods while Arlong and his crew addressed everyone in the village.

"Greeting and salutations you pathetic humans!" Arlong greeted the villagers as his men all stood behind him. He was still blue, still hated humans, and still had a long jagged nose. He wore a captain coat – with his arms actually in the sleeves – and a black pirate hat on his head. "From this moment on, this island and its inhabitants are part of my domain! Listen closely, from now on, on the first day of every month, you will buy your lives from me. 100,000 berries for adults, and 50,000 berries for children. Those who can not pay WILL DIE! SHAHAHAHA!"

"What should we do Nojiko?" asked Nami as she and Nojiko hid and watched from the woods. "We don't have enough money."

"Maybe the fishmen won't be able to find our house," Nojiko suggested. "You can't see it from here." Everyone gathered in the village had enough money all together it was over 25 million berri.

"We don't have a choice," Genzo said to some of the villagers. "We should just be happy that no one's been killed yet." _"If all they want is money, that's an easy price to pay. I just hope they leave without noticing Bellemere's house. With two children she'd need 200,000 berries, there's no way she has that much saved up."_

"It's time to leave!" Arlong announced, "Come brothers!" Nami and Nojiko almost breathed a sigh of relief… almost.

"Arlong, there's smoke coming from outside the village!" Kuroobi pointed out, causing the villagers and the two hidden girls to gasp.

"It looks like chimney smoke from somebody's house," commented a fishman.

"We almost missed that one," Arlong realized. "Let's go brothers!" Arlong and his fishmen headed off in the direction of the smoke.

"BELLEMERE!" ami and Nojiko gasped, the two of them quickly began running through the woods. Bellemere was still at home cooking the special supper with her special tangerine sauce, she had no idea that an army of fishmen were coming for her.

"Bellemere… Bellemere…" Nami whimpered as she and Nojiko ran through the trees as fast as they could, "BELLEMERE'S GONNA BE KILLED!"

**-x-**

"Genzo look, Nojiko and Nami are gone!" exclaimed someone back in Cocoyashi Village.

"What did you say?" Dr. Nako demanded. Without another word Genzo ran off towards Bellemere's house, hoping to catch the two girls and keep Bellemere from being killed by the fishmen.

**-x-**

Bellemere was happily cooking a special dinner for her daughters, oblivious to everyone that was coming her way. The fishmen that were coming in search of blood, Nojiko and Nami who were running through the forest hoping they'd make it in time, Genzo who was taking a short cut, _"Damn it, why did this happen?" _Genzo thought to himself.

"WE WILL NOT ABANDON BELLEMERE!" shouted one of the villagers as he and the rest of the male villagers grabbed weapons and ran for Bellemere's house, thy wouldn't abandon one of their own to the fishmen.

**-x-**

"This is gonna blow my budget," Bellemere said to herself as she surveyed her cooking, "but sometimes you've gotta live a little."

**Knock… Knock… **There came a loud series of knocks on the door.

"Huh, they're here," Bellemere commented as she turned and glanced at the door. But then she noticed the tall shadows gathered around the house. Whoever was outside was _not_ her two daughters.

**-x-**

**Knock… Knock…** Arlong stood outside the front door of a small house with smoke coming out of the chimney and knocked again.

"**It's opened!"** a woman called out from inside. **"Come in!"**

"Why thank you," Arlong replied as he reached out and opened the door, **Kreeek!**

Arlong stepped inside and peered around inside the house, but it didn't appear that anyone was there. There was something cooking on the stove, but he couldn't see the woman who had just called for him to 'come in'. There was a table set for three and a bed in the corner, but no female human.

**THWHAM! **A foot suddenly slammed into Arlong's face, taking the fishman by surprise. **WHAM!** Arlong went crashing through the door and landed on his back in the grass with a purple-haired female human on top of him. **Click!** She also had a shotgun pointed in his mouth.

"I guess you weren't expecting a former marine," Bellemere remarked as she sat on top of Arlong and smoked her cigarette. She glanced around her and noticed a bunch of other fishmen, "Now what would a pirate from the Grand Line want with Cocoyashi Village?"

But then the fishmen started laughing, even _Arlong_ was laughing, "SHAHAHAHA!"

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!" Bellemere demanded.

**CHOMP!** Arlong bit down on the nozzle of Bellemere's shotgun and used his shark like teeth to smash it to pieces. Bellemere staggered backwards in surprise while Arlong mocked her from the ground.

"Useless! Foolish! Stupid! Empty! Worthless! All of you humans!" Arlong growled. "You have no strength to speak of! SHAHAHAHA!"

**-x-**

"We'll help her escape through the back door!" Nami exclaimed as she and Nojiko ran up the path towards Bellemere's house.

"What if the pirates are already there?" asked Nojiko.

"**STOP!"** came a loud voice. Dr. Nako leapt out in front of them and grabbed them. "You can't go back home!"

"What? But we have to same Bellemere!" Nami shouted.

"Nojiko, Nami, quiet and listen to me," instructed Dr. Nako. "There will be times in life like this moment now where you will have to learn the truth no matter how hard it is to take."

"Doctor…"

**WOMP! "AAAAAAHHHHHH!"** A loud scream came from up at the house, Nami made to run around the old doctor, but he grabbed her and held her back.

"BELLEMERE NO!"

**-x-**

**WOMP! WOMP! **"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Bellemere screamed as Arlong stood over her and stomped on her arm. The bones were broken and it was bruised and useless now.

"_It's no use, these guys are real monsters…" _Bellemere thought to herself as the fishman continued to stomp on her arm. _"I'm going to die… Nojiko… Nami…"_

"**BELLEMERE!" **came a loud shout. Everyone turned to see Genzo come running up the path. "Don't waste your life because you're a stubborn fool! There's no reason for this fight when it can be solved with a simple exchange of money!"

"Just pay the fee, and I'll stop," said Arlong, he thought he was being reasonable, "100,000 for each adult and fifty for each kid, if any. If you can pay for your whole family, I'll gladly spare your lives." Arlong stepped back and Genzo ran up to Bellemere and rolled her over.

"How much do you have?" he whispered.

"Not nearly enough," Bellemere whispered back.

"Hey! The table is set for three!" Hachi pointed out as he stuck his head in the front door and peered around inside the house.

"Aaah, a family of three," Arlong commented. "Shahahahaha!"

"It's for me and my friend," Genzo lied. "We were supposed to have a nice dinner tonight, before you came." Genzo stood up and turned to Bellemere, "Come Bellemere, I know you've made something wonderful, pay them before the food gets cold. Just pay the pirates, and then they'll leave us alone. Now everyone is saved." Bellemere sat up and held her broken arm.

"It's true," said Kuroobi as he held some papers in front of him, "the Village Register shows no record of her marrying or giving birth. She's always been single."

**-x-**

Hearing that, Nami and Nojiko stopped and stared at the house in shock.

"Listen," said Dr. Nako. "There's no way that the pirates will ever find out about you. But you have to leave this island immediately. And don't ever look back, it's the only way for all three of you to survive. We can't afford it any other way. You're much too young to be at sea alone, but you've survived before. And if there's even a chance…"

"No," Nami interrupted, tears were dripping down her face, "I don't want to. We do we have to leave? They're the one's who came here! I wanna stay in this village! It's because we're poor… that's why we can't stay together. Why? Why can't they just go away?"

**-x-**

Arlong had been paid and he walked away from the house, "Well then," said Bellemere, still holding her arm. "Now we can all be safe."

**-x-**

"Fine! We'll leave this island!" Nojiko agreed.

"Nojiko!" Nami exclaimed.

"We have to leave or Bellemere will die," Nojiko sobbed as she turned and started to walk away. Nami cried while Bellemere sat on the steps and watched the fishmen leave. Nami's life was falling apart.

**-x-**

"Wait!" Bellemere called out after the fishmen. "Who said I was paying for me? That money I gave up was for my two daughters. But I can't pay you!" Nami, Nojiko, Genzo, Arlong, and all the other fishmen were all shocked by the revelation.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" demanded Genzo, now she was gonna be killed.

"It's okay," said Bellemere. "I have to do this for my family… even if it costs me my life. It's true that the three of us aren't related by blood. But we're family. All I've ever wanted was to be their mother. And now I can be."

"BELLEMERE!" Nami and Nojiko screamed. Nami couldn't let her mother die like this, not when the last thing she ever said to her was that she wished she'd been found by a rich family. The two girls escaped the Dr. Nako and ran the rest of the way around the path and around the house.

"IT WAS A LIE! I WAS LYING BELLERE!" Nami shouted as she ran up to Bellemere, followed closely by Nojiko. Bellemere knelt down and hugged the two crying girls with her one good arm.

"Don't cry girls," Bellemere tried to comfort them, "I wish I could've provided for you better. I wish I could've been a better mother to the both of you."

"Don't say that!" Nojiko cried.

"We don't need anything! Just don't die!" Nami exclaimed.

"DON'T LEAVE US!" Nojiko shrieked.

"YOU NEED TO SEE THE MAP I'M GONNA DRAW OF THE WHOLE WORLD!" Nami told her.

"Yes, your map," Bellemere agreed, she struggled and used her broken arm to pat Nami on the head. "Go and make your dream come true… for me."

"BELLEMERE NO!" Nami shouted.

"**So these are your daughters,"** came Arlong's cruel voice. In the heartfelt moment they had forgotten the monster was there. Nami and Nojiko screamed in alarm seeing the huge shark fishman.

"Yeah, that's right," Bellemere replied. "And you have to promise me that you'll leave them alone."

"No problem," said Arlong, "As long as you die like a good girl."

"HELP US!" Nami shouted.

**BANG! BANG!** Genzo fired a pair of pistols at Arlong, **Whup! Whup!** Kuroobi rushed in and blocked all of the bullets meant for Arlong with his big white fins. **SLISH!** Then he lashed out at Genzo with a sword and spilled the man's blood as he fell to the ground.

Suddenly the fishmen heard even more shouting, an angry mob of villagers was coming rushing up the pass for the house. "Don't kill 'em boys," Arlong ordered, "teach them a lesson!" Then he approached Bellemere, "Now to set an example…"

**WHAM!** Bellemere used her good arm to shove Nami and Nojiko into the house so they'd be out of the way.

**WHAP! POW! THWAK!** The fishmen were attacking the villagers, the ordinary humans were nothing compared to the might of fishmen and were easily throttled.

"Are you ready to die?" Arlong asked as he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Bellemere. Bellemere bravely stood in front of Arlong, she was doing this for her daughters so that was all the resolve she needed.

"Nojiko… Nami…" Bellemere called out, "love you…" **BANG!**

"_Never give up, you must find the strength inside you to always move on. You must live through every moment, and if you can smile in the face of it all. That is the greatest strength." – Bellemere_

**-End Nami's Origin Flashback Part 2-**

"There's more… isn't there?" Ricky reluctantly asked. He had stopped eating tangerines.

"Unfortunately, yes," Nami answered. "You're too smart for your own good."

"That's what Nojiko said," Ricky replied.

**-x-**

**To Live**

**-x-**

"Bellemere had always said that we were living in tough times," Nami recalled, "but we had to continue to live. And that we had to survive the tough times in order to get to the good times and that once we did, there would be lots of them that would come our way."

Ricky nodded, that was good advice.

"Well, I'm not done with my story yet," Nami told him.

**-Nami's Origin Flashback Part 3-**

"BELLEMERE!" Nami and Nojiko screamed. Their mother was dead.

"SHAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong laughed, the human was dead. "WHILE I'M IN CHARGE, THOSE WITHOUT MONEY WILL DIE! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YOU WORMS?"

The fishmen had severely thrashed the humans, none of them were getting up, but only Bellemere was dead.

"Hmm… what's this?" Hachi wondered as he reached into Bellemere's pocket and pulled out a map.

"NO!" Nami yelled. "THAT'S MY MAP! I DREW IT, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!"

"A child drew this?" questioned Arlong as he took Nami's map from Hachi.

"GIVE IT BACK!" Nami screamed.

"Very good," Arlong commented, "She could be useful, bring her with us!"

"Right," Hachi agreed as he grabbed Nami. His large pink hand wrapped all they way around the small ten-year-old girl's body.

"NO! HELP! HELP!" Nami shrieked, Nojiko tried to stop them but she couldn't do anything to a full grown fishman.

"You promised not to hurt her if you got your money!" Genzo groaned as he stood in front of Arlong with a sword.

"Right, I won't hurt her," Arlong agreed, "I'll just borrow her for a while."

"GENZO HELP ME!" Nami cried.

"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER!" Genzo hollered.

"Kuroobi," said Arlong.

**SLISH! SLISH! SLISH! SLISH! SLOSH!** Kuroobi drew a sword and slashed Genzo over and over again. A total of five times. **SPLURT!** Blood burst out of the wounds Kuroobi had inflicted on Genzo. He had gashes on his face, arms, legs, and chest. BUT HE WAS STILL STANDING! Nojiko dropped to her knees and stared in horror at the blood-covered mayor.

"GENZO! GENZO! GENZOOOO!" Nami screamed.

"I'll… I'll save you… Nami…" the blood-soaked man wheezed. "I won't… let you… go…"

"NOOOOO!" cried Nami. "PLEASE! IT'S OKAY! YOU DON'T NEED TO SAVE ME!"

"Enough of this!" snapped Kuroobi.

"I'll… save…" **POW!** Kuroobi slammed his fist and the handle of his sword into Genzo's face, knocked the man out before he could finish his sentence. Genzo's pinwheel hat went flying with the propeller still spinning.

"PLEASE! NO MORE KILLING!" Nami pleaded. It was unclear whether the fishmen were listening to her or not. But they carried her off and left the villagers lying on the ground.

**-x-**

"All of our ships were sunk," Dr. Nako reported, Cocoyashi Village had been trashed and he had had a lot of work to do patching up the people that had been beaten by the fishmen. "I'm afraid our plan to have Nami and Nojiko escape to the sea was…"

"A bad plan," Genzo groaned as he laid in a hospital bed, covered from head to toe in bandages. "The marines won't bother trying to save us. We've lost our island."

"Bellemere knew that this would happen," said the doctor. "Her experiences in the marines taught her what all these creatures are capable of. She knew that none of us would escape."

**-x-**

Nojiko had been left to bury Bellemere, she picked a spot that overlooked the ocean, and knelt before Bellemere's grave and cried.

"They've taken Nami…" Nojiko sobbed. "What am I supposed to do now? Bellemere?"

**-x-**

The next day, the villager's wounds had been treated and they were all gathered in the middle of Cocoyashi Village. "We know where Arlong and his crew are," Dr. Nako addressed the bandaged bunch of villagers. Nojiko was there too. "It looks like they're gonna settle right here on this island. It's time to decide, we can fight to the death right now, or we can take a chance that the marines will some day come to save us and hope and pray we don't get killed before then! Your choice!"

"Only Marine Headquarters stands a chance against them," said Genzo as he sat on the edge of the well. "But they have their hands full with the Grand Line. The chances that they would come all the way out here for us are as good as zero. But I can't just sit here and abandon Nami. WE MUST FIGHT!"

"I'm in," a villager said, "I can't just stand by and do nothing when a child is in danger. Now who else will come fight beside us?" The villagers agreed the first, they were gonna save Nami, she might be a thieving little brat, but she grew up in _their_ village and they weren't going to lose her to the fishmen.

"LET'S FIGHT!" cheered the mob.

**Tmp… tmp… tmp…** Small footsteps could be heard coming from the other end of the town. The villagers turned and saw Nami walking down the road, completely unharmed.

"NAMI! NAMI!" Nojiko exclaimed as she ran to her sister to see if she was alright. The villagers ran with her and gathered around the small girl. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you any?"

"I'm… joining them…" Nami said in barely a whisper.

"Huh?"

"I'm joining Arlong's Crew," Nami repeated, much to Nojiko's shock, everyone's for that matter. "I'm joining the Arlong Pirates." Nami looked up and flashed a clearly strained smile, "I'll get to be a Navigator and drew maps!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" asked Genzo as he knelt down next to the girl and held her shoulder. "Did they threaten to do something terrible to you? Please, tell me."

"No," Nami answered.

"THEY MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING!" Genzo shouted.

"NO! NO! LET GO OF ME!" Nami shrieked.

"TELL THE TRUTH!" Genzo yelled.

Nami pulled away from Genzo and everyone gasped when her left shoulder became visible. It bore the mark of the Arlong Fishmen Pirates.

"That's an Arlong tattoo…" Dr. Nako realized.

"But why?" asked Nojiko.

Nami put on another clearly strained smile and held up a big wad of bills in front of her. "Look at this," said Nami, "They gave me all this money. Hehe… hehe… he…" The laugh was clearly forced and there were tears in the girl's eyes. "They said they'd buy me anything I want…"

"NO!" Nojiko screamed. **WHAM!** She tackled her sister to the ground and landed on top of her. The dirty money went flying. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU JOIN THEM! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? THEY KILLED BELLEMERE IN FRONT OF US! SHE DIED TO KEEP US SAFE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, NEVER! YOU'RE NOT MY SISTER!"

"WHO CARES!" Nami yelled, "WHY WOULD I WANNA LIVE LIKE BELLEMERE IF IT JUST GETS YOU KILLED? I DON'T WANNA DIE LIKE THAT!"

"How could you…" Nojiko gasped while the villagers all stared in different degrees of shock. "BELLEMERE GAVE HER LIFE SO YOU AND I COULD GO ON LIVING TOGETHER!"

"That's enough Nojiko," said Genzo. "LEAVE US NAMI! NEVER SET FOOT IN THIS VILLAGE AGAIN!"

Nami fought desperately to hold back her tears and ran off. "NAMI!" Nojiko called after her. But the girl was gone.

"_I don't understand,"_ Genzo thought to himself, _"How could she betray our family like that? For money? Bellemere was like her mother…"_

"Nami loved Bellemere," Nojiko tried to assure everyone, especially herself. "I know she did…"

**-x-**

Late that night Nojiko found Nami crying in front of the grave she had dug for Bellemere. "Hey," said Nami when she noticed her sister behind her. "Didn't Bellemere always say… 'good things would come your way as long as you continued to live'? After Arlong took me, I watched him sink five marine ships like they were toys. I don't think they'll send any more. We're on our own. So I decided I'd do something about it. I made a deal with Arlong to buy Cocoyashi Village from him."

"Buy Cocoyashi?" repeated Nojiko as she walked up and stood beside Nami, "How?"

"For a hundred million berries," Nami answered. "If I buy the town, we'll be free. No one else will die. And all I have to do is join his crew and draw maps."

"But 100,000,000 berries!" Nojiko exclaimed. "You can't earn that much working your whole life!"

"I will get that money no matter what," Nami assured her. "People are having a hard enough time paying their own tribute. So I have to do this alone. If anyone tries to help me, they'll just get hurt."

"Won't it be hard?" asked Nojiko. "Living with the people who killed our mother?"

"I'll be okay," Nami sniffled, "I'll just smile every time I see his face. I'm not gonna cry any more. I'm gonna fight by myself." Nami spent the next eight years robbing pirates, since they always had a lot of treasure, and that brings us to day. Nami is still on Arlong's Crew, and is still trying to get the necessary 100,000,000 berries.

**-End Nami's Origin Flashback-**

"So Nojiko's the only one who knows," Ricky realized. "And you've been stealing for eight years."

"Yes," answered Nami. "It's been hard but I'm almost there. Every berri I stole was in spite of Arlong. Soon my village will be free and that monster will be out of my life."

"I'll admit that a lot of pirates are like that," said Ricky, "but not all of them are. There are decent pirates out there, you just haven't met very many."

"I know that now," Nami agreed, "You, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, maybe even Sanji… you're all really nice guys. You're nothing like the traditional example of pirates."

"Luffy had a great example to follow," Ricky explained, "Zoro is fighting for a dream of his and a dead friend. Despite practically growing up an orphan, Usopp told elaborate stories to a girl to make _her_ feel better, and he wants to become a Brave Warrior of the Sea like his father. And Sanji … well him, I don't really know about… but to be fair, he just joined."

"You forgot someone," commented Nami.

"Then there's you," Ricky amended, "you're stealing money from pirates so you can buy your village and save all of your neighbors."

"Um… I was talking about you…" Nami pointed out "One Eye Ricky... Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. But thanks anyway."

"Whatever," said Ricky with a shake of his head.

"What kind of response is that?" asked Nami.

"Not that it matters," Ricky commented. "But not all fishmen are like Arlong either. I once had the pleasure of meeting Arlong's old boss Jinbei. He's nothing like him, he's incredibly honorable. Arlong's just nasty…" Ricky suddenly sat up straighter and his eye widened, "Hold on… while you were on Arlong's crew did any of them ever…"

"Ever what?"

Ricky's only response was to raise his eyebrow.

"I don't… OH!"

Ricky's chair scraped the floor as he pushed away from the table and stood up, "Hey where are you going?" Nami asked in alarm.

"Well, depending on your answer, I'm about to march down to Arlong Park and end that son of a fish's life."

"They never did anything to me!" Nami quickly told them. "Arlong thinks all humans are beneath him, me included. It'd be like you going at it with a monkey. But Arlong still sees me as his 'precious navigator' and he's surprisingly protective, he made sure that all his men knew not to touch me. I just have to mention that I'm one of Arlong's Officers and most pirates in the East Blue will run away with their tail between their legs."

"Good, he'd be dead if he had done anything, I can promise you that."

"Don't be stupid, he's too strong. You can't beat him let along kill him. I've tried. Just stay out of the way and let me finish my business. Then it'll be all over."

"Okay, but if that's the case, there's only one more thing I need to know."

"And that would be?"

"How much more do you need?"

**-x-**

Nami's origin flashback is the most emotional moment in the East Blue Saga. I wanted to include it in its entirety but I didn't want to break it up into two chapters. Thus, the long chapter you just read.

This chapter should've helped answer some questions about Ricky's origin in addition to Nami's. As a rule of thumb, if Luffy does or doen't something about his or one of his brothers' parentage, it's safe to say that Ricky knows too. Some reviewers asked if Ricky knew who Luffy's father was, since Luffy doesn't know until Garp tells him, then Ricky doesn't know either. Also, a few people asked about Ricky's relationship with Ace. I won't give too much away yet but I'll point something out. The story Ricky told to the fishmen about Shane the Shark back in chapter 29 WAS TRUE. The 'older brother' Ricky mentions in the story IS ACE and the raft-like boat they were on WAS THE STRIKER. Their true relationship will be revealed at the beginning of the next arc during Ricky Character Origin Flashback.

Nami's Origin is over, next chapter the action begins, and a mouse interferes and claims that a thief is a thief.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	34. Chapter 33

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A Thief is a Thief**

**-x-**

Ten year old Nami was on Arlong's pirate ship, the vessel hadn't been used to build Arlong Park yet. Arlong sat in his throne and a depressed Nami was standing next to him. She'd just seen her mother die, the villagers get dominated by the fishmen, and Arlong sink five marine ships like they were nothing.

"What's wrong little girl?" asked Arlong as he took a drink from his glass of grog, he spared the orange haired girl a quick glance and put his glass down, "I bet it's the village. You want it left alone."

"…" Nami didn't answer, but that was exactly what she wanted. She didn't want anyone else to die like Bellemere.

"Then how about this," Arlong offered, "Let's make an agreement, okay?"

"An agreement?" Nami repeated.

"That's right," Arlong replied, "gather up one hundred million berries then bring it to me. Do so, and I will let your village go, in addition to giving you your freedom."

"Promise?" questioned Nami.

"I promise," Arlong vowed. "I'm the kind of fishman that would rather die than break an agreement concerning money. I don't even care how long it takes you. I will honor our agreement."

Nami agreed. She spent the next eight years robbing pirates of their treasure. It started slowly, but she grew more experienced over time. Until now, eight years later, she nearly had the one hundred million berries. All her hard work was finally going to pay off.

**-x-**

Down at the beach, Nojiko was just finishing telling Usopp and Sanji Nami's tragic story. "Ever since that day eight years ago," Nojiko concluded, "no one has ever seen that girl cry, and she has never asked anyone for help. She doesn't want anyone to get killed like our mother was."

"She was ten years old?" questioned Usopp, "And Nami decided to fight alone in that situation?

"Can you understand what a painful choice that was for her?" asked Nojiko.

"So to make enough money and save her village," Usopp summarized, "She decided to join the people who killed her mother?"

"That villain made my darling Miss. Nami suffer!" Sanji exclaimed, "I, Sanji, shall beat him to death!" **BONK! **"OW!" Nojiko lashed out and whacked Sanji on the head.

"I came to ask you not to do that," said Nojiko, "If you keep raving about _'your darling Miss. Nami'_ the pirates will get suspicious and all of Nami's efforts will be undone. Don't cause her any more pain. That girl fights alone. For her, the most painful word is 'friends'."

**-x-**

"What are you talking about?" asked Nami.

"How much more do you need?" Ricky repeated.

"Around three million…" Nami guessed, "I should be able to get that in one more job."

"That's not much," Ricky remarked.

"To most people it is," Nami pointed out. "But you're right… I'm almost there. Soon, these eight years worth of work will finally pay off. I'll be free, and so will my village."

"And I don't suppose I could convince you to let me help?" questioned Ricky.

"I'm not a charity case," Nami insisted. "I started this on my own, and I'm finishing it on my own."

Ricky shook his head, "You're so stubborn."

"Oh yeah! Well what would you know!" Nami demanded.

Ricky sat up and looked absolutely serious, "I _know_ that everyone else on the crew sees you as Nakama. You say the word, and I _know_ that all of us, that's me, Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and even Zoro, would be willing to get on our boat and beat the snot out of every pirate crew we came across until we got the money you need. _That's_ what I know. But I also know you won't accept our help."

Nami simply nodded.

"I don't want to upset you," Ricky continued, "I just figured I'd tell you that we'll be here if you need us." With that, he got up and left. Nami was left alone, again.

**-x-**

Down at the village, Luffy was wandering aimlessly through Cocoyashi Village, when he eventually came across Genzo who was leading Captain Nezumi and his platoon of marine soldiers up to Nami's house.

"Why do the marines want to see Nami?" asked Genzo.

"Just take me to her, hyk hyk hyk," Nezumi replied with a mouse-like laugh.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed, "How come that guy has a pinwheel on his hat? THAT IS SO COOL!"

**-x-**

Nami sat alone in the house but then she finally noticed the two wads of bills on the table. Ricky had put that there to pay for the tangerines he had eaten. Nami reached out and picked them up and with practiced skill from eight years she counted it. When she finished her eyes went wide.

"Th-three m-million…" she stammered.

Nami turned and stared at the opened door that Ricky had just disappeared through. This was it. That was the final three million berries that she needed. There was ninety-seven million berries buried out in the tangerine grove and with this she had the one hundred million required for her agreement with Arlong.

"He helped me anyway…" Nami realized as she stared at the money in her hand. Never before had Nami's goal seemed so close, all she had to do was dig up the money in the grove and take it all to Arlong. She'd have her village, she'd be free, and she could finally pursue her dream.

"But… isn't this just a handout?" Nami said to herself. He had definitely not eaten that many tangerines. They were good, but not _that_ good. Nami stood there and wondered, "Do I want to accomplish an eight-year-long goal because of a handout?"

She had the money she needed right here in her hands. It seemed stupid to refuse it and let the villagers suffer for longer just because of her pride. "The hell with it," she resolved. "I'll pay him back when I get money of my own." _Of her own, _now that it was finally over, she could find treasure and keep it for herself. She wouldn't have to pay that murdering bastard!

Nami smiled and ran for the door but as she stepped off the porch she spotted a familiar figure standing in front of the house while staring down the path up from the village.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked, now that she knew Ricky was still here she felt a little more conflicted about taking his money.

"…" Ricky stayed silent and pointed down the road at the approaching party.

"Mr. Genzo… and a bunch of marines…" Nami observed as she walked forward to see what he was pointing at. It was Genzo and a Marine Captain that looked like a rat, they were followed by a group of no less than twelve marines.

"I'm Captain Nezumi of Marine Base 16, hyk hyk hyk," Nezumi introduced himself. "Are you the pirate thief known as Nami? The marine sources have revealed that you have a quite large sum of treasure that you've stolen from pirates. My source says you rob pirates of their treasure. While that is an unusual case, a thief is a thief. That treasure belongs to the people it was originally stolen from, so you must surrender it to us… the Government."

"…" Nami stayed silent while she and Genzo glared at the marine.

"Hold on… I know how you guys operate," said Ricky. "You'll take the treasure and make a half-assed attempt to get it back to the people it was stolen from. But then you'll give up and the treasure all ends up in your pocket."

"Watch you tongue, pirate!" Nezumi warned him. As a matter-of-fact, only thirty percent would end up in his pocket. He snapped his fingers and a dozen marines rushed in and forced Ricky away from Nami at sword-point. Ricky just put his hands in his pockets and didn't seem at all threatened. "I'll deal with you next!"

Nezumi turned his attention back to Nami, "Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time. The government hereby confiscates everything you've stolen. It is required that you comply immediately, do you understand?"

Nami stared at the marine, but then smiled, "Hm, isn't that something," Nami remarked, "I can see that you're very passionate about your duties. You won't bring a brutal gang of pirates to justice but you will shake down a lowly thief. That's so very noble."

"You bring up an interesting point," Nezumi replied. "Men, take that pirate into custody."

Six of Nezumi's marines stepped forward and surrounded Ricky, all of them drew swords and pointed them at him. Ricky however, paid them no mind and continued to stare at Nezumi.

Nami cast a quick glance at Ricky, then folded her arms across her chest and addressed Nezumi, "I'm only gonna warn you once. I'm one of the leaders of the Arlong Pirates. If you mess with me, Arlong won't sit by quietly."

"Hyk hyk hyk," Nezumi chuckled, "Silly girl, who do you think I am? Do you honestly think you can intimidate me? FIND THE STOLEN TREASURE!"

"Hey geniuses, he meant everyone but you," Ricky informed the six marines surrounding him when they went to find the treasure. The marines quickly returned to their previous positions and pointed their swords at Ricky. This left only six marines to search.

"DON'T MOVE!" Nami yelled after the marines but they didn't listen. She ran after them and pulled her bow-staff out from her shirt, "I SAID… STOP! **WOMP! WHAK!** Nami took down two marines with two hard shots from her bow staff.

Nami stood in front of the four remaining marines blocking their path while Ricky continued to keep six busy by being 'apprehended'. "Do you really think this is what the marines should be doing now!" Nami demanded as she walked through the marines and stood in front of Nezumi, "The Arlong Pirates are murderers, they've destroyed entire cities and you're doing nothing! He's ruling over this island and trampling over people's lives. You'd ignore Arlong's atrocities to steal from a thief? IS THIS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT STANDS FOR?"

Genzo looked just as angry as Nami but Ricky didn't seem at all surprised, "The world's very corrupt," he pointed out. "That's why you've got to treasure the few people you _can_ trust. You clearly can't trust the government to do anything."

"Watch your mouth criminal!" Nezumi scolded him, "Continue the search men!"

"How much are they paying you to do this?" Ricky asked bluntly. "I'll double it if you go away."

"W-what?" Nezumi stammered. "I'm a Marine Captain! I don't take bribes from people!" Fishmen were a different issue though.

"Why don't I believe you?" Ricky wondered out loud.

"SHUT HIM UP!" Nezumi ordered. **WHAP!** In a flash Ricky shot his hand out and caught the sword that was being swung at him.

"Don't," Ricky warned him, the marine was using two hands to try and hit Ricky, but he was holding the marine's sword off by simply pinning it between two fingers. The other five marines that were surrounding him stared in shock.

"Everyone on this island has been waiting for the marines to liberate them!" Nami exclaimed, the four marines walked passed her to search for the treasure. "How can you abandon them and come searching for money?"

"Captain, this orchard seems suspicious," observed one of the marines as he stood next to a bush filled with tangerines.

"Dig it up," Nezumi ordered, "the whole thing if need be!"

Nami wasn't about to stand there and let a few corrupt marines steal her hard-earned money. **WHOMP!** She lunged and tackled a marine to the ground, pressed her bow-staff into the back of his neck. "KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF BELLEMERE'S TANGERINE ORCHARD!"

**WHOMP! WHACK!** Nami took out another two marines with her bow-staff, "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE MY MONEY! THAT MONEY IS FOR…"

Nami was cut off by Genzo who finished the statement for her, "THAT MONEY IS GOING TO SAVE COCOYASHI VILLAGE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CONFISCATE IT!" **WHACK!** Nami took down the last marine and stared at Genzo in shock.

Ricky raised an eyebrow at the scarred man, "That's new," Ricky commented. Suddenly he yanked on the sword he was holding with both hands and swung it around him, the marine was still holding onto it and ended up knocking down the other five marines like a circle of dominos. **WHAM!**

"What's this?" questioned Nezumi. "Are you defying the Marines?"

"Mr. Genzo…" said Nami as she stood over the marines and stared at Genzo in surprise, "How did you know?"

"I've always known," Genzo confessed as his pinwheel spun around due to a sudden breeze. "I couldn't believe you would join Arlong just for money, so I confronted Nojiko. Everyone in the village knows what you're doing. But we all agreed that we wouldn't tell you that we knew. If you ever thought the villagers were placing their hopes on you, you might never leave his gang for fear of letting us down."

"What is this nonsense?" asked Nezumi. "Is everyone in this village a thief? Maybe I should arrest you all!"

"You've really got some strange priorities," Ricky dryly remarked.

"**He's saying that because they can't depend on you people!**" came the voice of Nojiko as she walked up the path leading to the house. "We have to fight for ourselves! So if you're not going to save this village, then get the hell out of here! If you stay here Arlong will sink your ship too!"

"Arlong?" Nezumi repeated, "Hyk hyk hyk, I doubt that very much!" Nami stared at Nezumi and didn't notice that the six marines she'd taken down had gotten back up and were now standing around the marine captain due to the large number of people interfering with the search. "What're you idiots doing here?" demanded Nezumi, "we're looking for a hundred million berries, not a grain of rice, it's impossible _not_ to find it!"

"I smell a rat and a rotten fish," Ricky stated.

"How did you know how much she has?" Genzo demanded.

"A lucky guess? Hyk hyk hyk," Nezumi laughed in his usual annoying laugh.

_SHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

"_Could it be?"_ Nami asked herself. "DID ARLONG SEND YOU HERE?"

Nezumi smirked, "That's absurd! I'd never do his dirty work, that'd be wrong. I'm just a public servant dealing with theft the way any government worker would." And it had been one of Arlong's men that had tipped him off, not Arlong himself.

"YOU CORRUPT MARINE SCUMBAG!" Genzo snarled.

"Have the marines lowered themselves to serving a pirate?" Nojiko demanded.

"Dispose of them," Nezumi ordered the marines, "They're impeding our search."

"Aye aye sir," replied a marine, as he and the others drew their guns, **BA-BANG!** The six marines opened fire on Nojiko, but when the smoke from the gunshots cleared Ricky was holding Nojiko to his chest. If someone looked close they'd see blood dripping out of some bullet holes and down the back of Ricky's green coat.

"You alright?" Ricky asked the girl in his arms.

"Yeah," Nojiko answered.

"Good," said Ricky as he let go of her then turned to face Nezumi and the marines, completely ignoring the bullets in his back. "You missed… but I won't."

Nami stared at Ricky and the blood that was trailing on the ground after him. He had just taken bullets for her sister. She remembered what he had said earlier. _"All of us, even Usopp, would be willing to take bullets for you at a second's notice."_

"Boy! What do you think you're doing?" Genzo demanded. "You can't fight the marines! Especially in your present condition!"

"I've had worse," Ricky replied with an indifferent shrug. "Besides, I'm a pirate, why would fighting a few corrupt marines be a concern to me?"

"What are you waiting for?" Nezumi called out to his men. "Kill him!"

**SKISH!** Ricky suddenly leapt up into the air and flew at the marines he maneuvered his legs out in front of him and drove them into the chest of the marine at the end of the line, "Flying ARROW KICK!" **THWAK!** The marine went flying while Ricky landed in the spot he'd vacated. Ricky spun and kicked the marine at the end of the line in the side and sent him flying into the others, **THWAK! WHAM!** It had only taken three seconds, Nezumi was now the only marines standing. All twelve of his escorts were down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nezumi demanded as Ricky approached him, "You're impeding the progress of the Government! I'll tell my superiors about you! You'll have a huge price on your head and every bounty hunter in the East Blue will be after you! Even the notorious Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!"

Ricky's face turned into a sly grin, "I highly doubt that. I happen to be on very good terms with Roronoa Zoro, you might even call us friends. But if you want to put a price on my head so be it… you've got me on charges of interfering in corrupt marine business, multiple counts of assaulting corrupt marines, resisting arrest issued by corrupt marines, assaulting a corrupt marine officer, and piracy. My name is 'One Eye' Ricky and I'm the First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates. Also, I beat 'One, Two' Jango about a week back and his bounty was nine million berries. Any bounty less than ten million would be an insult."

"Cocky bastard…" Nezumi muttered.

"Corrupt marine," Ricky stated.

"Wait… assault on a corrupt officer? You haven't…"

"Javelin… KICK!" **CRUNCH! **Ricky lashed out his leg and the steel sole of his boot connected with Nezumi's jaw. Some of Nezumi's teeth dropped out of his mouth and hit the ground just as he did. Nezumi was out cold and he would, no doubt, be extremely angry when he woke up.

Nami stormed up to Ricky and grabbed him by the ear, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" she demanded. "I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT YOUR HELP!"

"Well, I helped anyway," he replied as he attempted to pull away.

"YEAH, AND YOU GOT SHOT, YOU MORON!" Nami yelled.

"We need to get him to a doctor," Genzo reasoned, "after being shot like that, he should be dead."

"I'm fine, let go," Ricky argued as he struggled against Nami.

"You've got bullets in your back!" Nojiko snapped as she grabbed one of Ricky's arms, she and Nami dragged Ricky down the pass towards Cocoyashi Village. "A normal person wouldn't even be _alive _after that!"

Without sparing a glance at the fallen corrupt marines, Genzo followed after them.

**-x-**

"A pinwheel, huh?" Luffy said to himself as he leaned against a tree in Cocoyashi Village, "That was so cool!"

"**DOCTOR!"** came a loud shout from the guy with the pinwheel. Luffy looked towards the commotion wondering what was going on. "DOCTOR!"

"Genzo, what's going on?" asked Dr. Nako, as he and a bunch of other villagers ran over, "We heard gun shots."

**WHAM!** "STAY DOWN, AND HOLD STILL!" Nami yelled as she threw Ricky stomach-first onto the ground and pinned him there.

"This boy took some bullets for Nojiko," Genzo explained. He decided not to mention that he was a pirate.

"From who?" asked the doctor.

"The marines," Nojiko answered, while she and Nami pulled up the back of Ricky green coat to reveal six bloody bullet holes.

"The marines?" Dr. Nako repeated in surprise as he knelt down next to the struggling boy.

Luffy's eyes went wide when he noticed a familiar orange-haired girl in the middle of the crowd pinning someone with blood on their back to the ground.

"Arlong has been working with those damn marines," Genzo told him. "He's been lying to Nami for the last eight years. He never intended to honor their agreement at all!"

"THAT BASTARD!" cursed one of the villagers.

"That scoundrel!" another snapped, "He lied to our Nami!"

Nami let go of Ricky and slowly stood up, this proved that what Genzo had told her was the truth, everyone knew about her deal with Arlong.

"Nami?" questioned Dr. Nako, while Nojiko doubled her efforts in an attempt to keep the struggling pirate on the ground.

"**Hey Nami!"** came a new voice as Luffy joined the crowd and greeted his navigator. "What's up? Need help with anything?"

Nami turned around and glared at him, "Why are you still here?" she demanded, she reached out and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to her, "I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! GET OFF OF THIS ISLAND!" **WHUMP!** Nami threw Luffy to the side and ran off.

"_Arlong, I'll get you for this!"_ Nami snarled as she ran along the path to Arlong Park.

"_I'm the kind of fishman that would rather die than break an agreement concerning money. I don't even care how long it takes you. I will honor our agreement."_

"ARLONG!" Nami yelled as she continued to run. She finally had the money, but then a marine 'miraculously' showed up and confiscated it. Arlong betrayed her!

**-x-**

Back in the village, Luffy got back up and finally noticed who was in the middle of the group. "Ricky? What's going on? Why are you bleeding?"

"That's not important," said Ricky, he suddenly pulled away from Nojiko and stood back up. He pulled down the back of the green coat, once again hiding the bullets embedded in his back.

"Hold still, you idiot!" Nojiko scolded him, "You still have bullets in your back."

"I'm fine," he growled as he pushed his way out of the crowd of villagers and grabbed Luffy as he walked passed."Luffy, Nami's heading for Arlong Park. I'm gonna go after her and try to work out a deal with Arlong. If it doesn't work, I'll trust you to take care of things."

Luffy nodded, "Good luck." With that Ricky ran off in the direction of Arlong Park, leaving Luffy and the villagers staring after him.

"Who was that boy?" Genzo wondered.

**-x-**

"ARLONG!" Nami screamed when she reached Arlong Park.

"My precious Navigator," Arlong commented when he saw the enraged orange haired girl approaching, "What's wrong? You seem angry."

"You sent those marines to steal my treasure!" snapped Nami grabbed Arlong by collar of his yellow party shirt, "What happened to all that crap about how you'd die before you a broke a promise concerning money, BASTARD!"

"Refresh my memory," Arlong replied as he ignored Nami's hands on his clothes for the moment, "Did I break a promise?"

"Don't play dumb!" Nami growled, "I had all the money I needed and you sent those marines to steal it!"

**WHAP! **Arlong reached out and covered Nami's mouth with his large webbed hand, "Just when did I break my promise?" questioned Arlong, at the same time, he was thinking, _"That was a close one, I didn't know she had that much. I almost lost her."_

Tears welled up in Nami's eyes as Arlong and his men laughed, "SHAHAHAHAHA!"

_"Damn you, Arlong!"_ Nami thought to herself as her tears dripped out of her eyes and ran down her face onto Arlong's hand. _"DAMN YOU!" _Arlong had betrayed her, he was never planning on letting her go. Arlong _technically _hadn't broken his promise, he'd still uphold his end if she came up with one hundred million berries, but to keep from going through with it, he'd hired marines to steal the treasure before he had to honor the agreement.

**-x-**

Ricky was still running towards Arlong Park, _"Desperate times, call for desperate measures."_

**-x-**

**A Deal with the Devil:**

**-x-**

"Hyk hyk hyk, the total is ninety-seven million berries!" Captain Nezumi laughed as they lifted the lid of the box Nami had buried in the tangerine grove to store her treasure. "Thirty percent of this will belong to us! It's incredible!"

"But sir," pointed out one of the marines as the captain held up a bundle of bills that were coated in mud, "Some of this is covered in dirt and blood!"

"Hyk hyk, money's money," Nezumi replied with a laugh. "That little thief believed she could free that village, so she collected for eight years! It's such a large amount of money!"

"Sir, what are we going to do about that pirate that attacked us before?"

"That one-eyed freak made fools of us," Nezumi snapped with a sudden demeanor change, "I'm going to place a large bounty on his head for all the trouble that he caused us. He knocked out two of my teeth!"

"Sir, do you want us to call Marine Headquarters?"

"I'll handle this myself," Nezumi decided. "Gather up the treasure and bring it back to the ship." Nezumi pocketed a bundle of bills then stood up and headed back for the ship, he had an important phone call to make.

**-x-**

At Arlong Park, the fishmen were all still laughing. "Shahahaha! Too bad all your stolen money got stolen," Arlong laughed. "But a deal's a deal Nami, if you can't come up with one hundred million berries, then both you and your village stay in my possession indefinitely. Well, you know the terms."

"You bastard," Nami growled, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, he'd betrayed her. Eight long years of hard work had all been for nothing. She _did _have the money she needed, but it had just been stolen.

"Don't worry," Arlong reassured her, "I'll still hold up my end of the deal. Just start searching again and I'll give you back your village for one hundred million berries."

Suddenly Arlong got serious, "Or are you gonna run out on me?" asked Arlong, "if you do, I'll kill everyone in that village."

Nami glared at Arlong while Genzo's words echoed in her mind, _"We all agreed that we wouldn't tell you that we knew. If you ever thought the villagers were placing their hopes on you, you might never leave his gang for fear of letting us down."_

**WHAP!** Nami slapped Arlong's arm off of her then she turned and ran.

"Aw, running away so soon?" Arlong taunted, "Shahahaha!"

Suddenly a figure leapt over the gate and landed in front of Nami with his arm out. Nami ran into his arm and suddenly found herself thrown over his shoulder. "**Surprised to see me?**" Ricky asked, getting the attention of all the fishmen. "Don't take what happened earlier personally, it's just business."

The fishmen all looked ready to kill at a moment's notice, "You have a lot of guts coming here after what you did," Arlong snarled, "I welcomed you in, you were one of the few humans that I could actually tolerate… but then you went and betrayed my trust and stole my treasure!"

"Refresh my memory," Ricky replied, "when did I _steal_ your treasure? Your men gambled it and lost it. I won it fair a square."

Arlong glared at Ricky while his fishmen looked embarrassed, technically, he hadn't stolen Arlong's treasure. He had just swindled them out of it.

"Don't worry," said Ricky, "I came up with a way you could get all of your treasure back and maybe a little more. Call off your lackeys and we can talk in a civilized manner."

Arlong continued to glare at Ricky, but he was offering money. This might be worth listening to. Arlong signaled for his men to stand down. "What did you have in mind?"

"I have a really simple deal for you," Ricky began. "I'll trade you the two billion berries that I _won_ and a little more in exchange for Nami and her village."

"More?"

Ricky grinned and with Nami still thrown over his shoulder, he approached Arlong and stood beside his throne, "I see I've caught your attention." While keeping Nami on his shoulder, Ricky reached into his bottom left pocket and pulled out a small sack of treasure that he'd taken from his sack full of Don Krieg's treasure.

Ricky put Nami down and wrapped his arm around hers while he reached into the sack and pulled out the biggest diamond Nami had ever seen. Nami, Arlong, and the fishmen stared at the diamond in surprise, it was HUGE and about the size of Ricky's fist.

"I really am a Treasure Hunter," Ricky explained. "The name's 'One Eye' Ricky Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. This diamond is worth ten million berries, I've got nine more in here."

"You say you have more that size?" questioned Arlong as he glanced at the one-eyed pirate suspiciously. "Prove it. You betrayed my trust. I'm not going to make any deals without showing that you have the money the back it up."

Ricky dropped the diamond back in the sack then crouched down and pulled Nami down with him, he turned the sack over and poured out a line of ten ENORMOUS gems.

There were ten of them, ten gems that were all as big as Ricky's fist. There was a diamond, a ruby, another diamond, a sapphire, another ruby, an emerald, another sapphire, a third diamond, another emerald, and a third ruby. In total, 3 diamonds, 3 rubies, 2 sapphires, and 2 emeralds.

The fishmen gasped while Arlong picked up one of the rubies and stared at it, "These are all genuine gems," Arlong realized. "How could you possibly gotten these?"

"I didn't," Ricky admitted, "Don Krieg did. He'd gone to the Grand Line and was unfortunate enough to have a run in with Hawk Eye Mihawk. I caught them as they were coming back, all practically starving to death and none of them were able to stop me from stealing all of his treasure. They're not gonna miss it. As soon as I got off the ship, Mihawk showed up to finish the job and cut Krieg's galleon in half, it sunk and he'll never see any of it again."

While still keeping his hold on Nami, Ricky quickly gathered up the gems and put them back in the sack and stood up. "All together these are worth one hundred million berries, the rest of Don Krieg's treasure is only worth twenty million. You say the word and all one hundred twenty million berries worth of treasure are yours in addition to the two billion berries I won earlier."

"And all you want in exchange is the girl and her village?" questioned Arlong as he stared at the girl, who was staring at the sack in Ricky's hand in shock.

"Your deal with Nami is one hundred million berries for her village," Ricky pointed out, he let go of Nami and forced the sack of gems into her hands. With some more 'help' from Ricky, Nami once again had the one hundred million berries she needed. "She's got it now, if you live up to your end of the agreement and let her village go, I'll throw in two billion for Nami. I'll have paid you enough for twenty thousand humans. I doubt there's that many on this island."

Ricky stared at the partially covered sun tattoo on Arlong's chest, it was the symbol of the Sunny Pirates, but before that it was something else. "I'm sure you're used to people buying others for money," he said in a hushed voice, caused Arlong to stare at him in surprise. "That's all I'm doing here, buying a quality human."

"Who are you?" Arlong demanded as he stared at Ricky.

"I'm the First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates," answered Ricky, "but before that I was a member of another pirate crew I'm sure you're familiar with, Division Two to be specific. But that's the past, now, I want my navigator back."

Nami was too confused and shocked to make heads-or-tails of what was going on. Arlong had been causing her problems for the last eight years, he killed her mother and he was holding her village hostage so he could blackmail her into working for him. He was using her neighbors' and her sister's life like they were nothing to him. And now, when she finally had the money she needed, he got a corrupt marine to steal it from her.

Then there was Ricky, all he'd ever done was help her. He helped her get the that safe opened back at Shell Town, he helped her get half of Buggy the Clown's treasure, he found the treasure on Gaimon's island and gave her their entire three million berri cut, and then he gave her the last three million berries she needed to pay off Arlong for her village. Now, after Arlong had betrayed her, here he was again, helping her. He had gotten what she had worked eight years for in one raid and was offering it to Arlong, and twenty times that for her freedom.

Nami could only wonder 'why', why was Ricky doing all this for her? The fishman she had known for almost half her life had betrayed her. But Ricky had only known her for a few weeks and was helping her more than anyone ever had. What had she done for him that warranted this? She had betrayed him and got him trapped in a cage by Buggy the Clown, if it hadn't been for Luffy and Zoro, he'd have been blown up. And then she betrayed him again, she stole the Going Merry and sailed off, leaving him and the rest of the Straw Hats in the middle of a battle with Don Krieg. Why was he helping her so much?

"Two billion one hundred twenty million berries for the girl and her village," said Arlong. "What could she possibly mean to you, that you'd give up all that treasure?"

"My reasons are my own," Ricky stated. "Just think of it as Nami's deal. You get paid. You release Nami and her village. And you're left with an extra two billion twenty million berries. Do we have a deal or not?"

Arlong was silent for a moment as he stared at Ricky and Nami, "You make a tempting deal One Eye," Arlong commented. "But you do realize that came here alone, your partner, _Roronoa Zoro,_ doesn't appear to be here. Neither do the rest of those Straw Hats that you keep talking about. What's to stop me from having my men attack you, torture you for the location of my treasure, and finally kill you?"

"You'll never get anything out of me unless you accept my deal," Ricky answered, not even the slightest bit intimidated by the fishman's comment about his death. "I'll take the location to the grave with me and you'll never be able to find it. So if you want your money back, you need me alive."

Arlong glared at Ricky, he and his crew had various ways of torturing humans for information, however this one seemed willing to take that information to the die with it. But if he went along with it, he'd lose his slave…uh… human navigator, then his dreams of forming the Arlong Empire would be ruined.

"One Eye, I said it before and I'll say it again," said Arlong. "You've got balls. Let's just see how determined you are to keep the location of your treasure hidden once I torture you for a few days. **GET HIM!"**

Ricky dragged Nami away from Arlong and noticed the fishmen surrounding him and slowly closing in on him. "Well, onto plan B," said Ricky. "You get no money, and I take her by force."

Ricky lightly pushed Nami out of the way, then turned to face the fishmen that were approaching him.

"_He was willing to give up 2,120,000,000 for me," _Nami said to herself as stared at Ricky's back, the green coat was still rattled with bloody bullet holes. _"But now he's probably gonna die attempting to get us out of here."_

Ricky ran forward and jumped up and drove his feet down into the top of the first fishman's head, "Bludgeon… STOMP!" **WHOMP! **Ricky used the fishman as a springboard and launched himself high up into the air then came crashing down on the other fishmen, "Catapult… SPLASH!" **THWUMP! **A cluster of seven fishmen was taken down when the pirate landed on them.

"One Eye… KICK BARRAGE!" Ricky called out as he met the charging fishmen.

"ROUNDHOUSE!" **THWAK!** Ricky took down a fishman with a roundhouse kick to the face, knocking him down to the ground.

"SPINNING WHEEL!" **THWACK!** Ricky leapt up into the air and swung his leg around over his head and smashed it into another fishman's face, knocking him down and out.

"BACK!" **WHACK!** Ricky lashed his leg out behind him and kicked a third fishman in the stomach, causing him to stop where he was. "CRESCENT!" Ricky jumped up into the air and drove his foot into the same fishman's face, **TWHACK!** The fishman went crashing down to the ground at Ricky's feet.

"LOOK OUT!" Nami yelled as two fishmen ran at Ricky from behind.

"BACKFLIP!"** THA-WHACK!** Ricky jumped up into the air and did a backflip, driving each of his feet into the face of one of the approaching fishmen and knocked them both down to the ground.

"This can't be the best your species has to offer," Ricky remarked with casual indifference as he surveyed all of the fishmen he'd taken down.

"CAN'T YOU BEAT ONE MEASLY HUMAN?" Arlong screamed, he was starting to get aggravated.

Another fishman charged in, Ricky jumped up into the air and drove one foot into the fishman's chest, then pushed off and swung his other leg around and drove it into the back of the fishman's head, "Jumping... GUILLOTINE KICK!" **CRACK!** Fishman was knocked out and stood in a daze as Ricky landed in a crouch. Ricky grabbed the unconscious fishman before he had a chance to fall and lifted him up off of the ground and threw into the few remaining nameless fishmen. **WHAM!** There were four fishmen left standing, Arlong, Hachi, Kuroobi, and Chew.

"I'm starting to get bored," Ricky calmly taunted, "you fish aren't impressing me."

Nami stared in shock, this was the same attitude he had when he faced the Black Cat Pirates. Calm, relaxed, almost bored. But these weren't merely the Black Cat Pirates, these were the Arlong Fishman Pirates, the strongest crew in the East Blue. Ricky had taken out all of Arlong's henchmen like they were nothing.

"I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU MYSELF!" Arlong yelled as he came towards Ricky.

"Lord Arlong, no!" Kuroobi shouted. "You'll destroy Arlong Park!

"Let us handle him,** nyu**," Hachi offered as he and Chew walked over. The three of them had stayed out of the way while all the others rushed the human.

"Fine, but be quick about it," Arlong growled as he sat back down.

"_He can't beat those three all at once!" _Nami thought to herself in alarm.

"Maybe you three will at least provide a challenge," Ricky stated.

"WATER BULLET!" Chew shouted as shot a water ball at Ricky.** BAM!** Ricky jumped over it and the water bullet flew under him and hit a fishman that was coming up behind him looking to take him by surprise.

"Prepare to die human!" Kuroobi snapped as he charged Ricky and swung at him. "ONE HUNDRED BRICK FIST!" **SWOOSH!**

Ricky ducked down and stepped under the punch so he was behind the ray fishman, "Quarterstaff… SWEEP!" **WHAK! **Ricky swung his leg around and knocking Kuroobi's legs out from under him, sending him crashing down to he ground. **THUD!**

**BAM! BAM!** Ricky jumped over two more water bullets from Chew, then landed in front of him. "You're shoe's untied," Ricky pointed out. Chew took a second and glanced down at his feet, "Machete… BACK KICK!" Ricky jumped up and lashed his leg out behind him, **THWAK! **Chew was caught in the face while he was still looking at his feet and went crashing down to the ground.

"You're wearing sandals," Ricky informed the downed archer fish fishman.

"What are you going to do against a fishman with six arms?" Hachi challenged him as he stood in front of Ricky and showed off his six tentacle-like arms.

"Hey look, a distraction!" Ricky called out.

"Where?" questioned Hachi as he looked around him.

"Idiot," Ricky muttered as he lashed out his leg at Hachi's face, "Javelin… KI—" **WHAP! **Hachi caught Ricky's foot with all six of his arms.

"Nice try human!" Hachi taunted. "**Nyu!"**

Hachi swung Ricky's leg to the side and away from him, "Spinning… WHIP KICK!" **SWISH! **Ricky swung his leg all the way around and connected with the side of Hachi's head, **THWHAM!** Hachi fell backwards and rolled over to Chew and Kuroobi who were still on the ground.

"And that, is Anime Law 16," Ricky commented as he calmly surveyed all the fishmen he'd single-handedly taken out. Ricky turned his back on Arlong as a show of disrespect and walked over to Nami and grabbed her hand. "Let's get out of here."

"Were you really going to give up your treasure for me?" asked Nami as she stared up at him. "You said it was over 2,120,000,000 berries."

"You're Nakama," Ricky answered as if it explained everything, "I'd give up One Piece for you."

**-x-**

Arlong's not done yet, further negotiations will leave Nami in tears.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	35. Chapter 34

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Tears:**

**-x-**

"ONE EYE, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Arlong yelled. "THE SECOND YOU LEAVE, I'LL SEND MY MEN TO COCOYASHI VILLAGE! AND WE'LL KILL EVERYONE! STARTING WITH HER SISTER!"

Ricky let go of Nami and then turned and stared at Arlong. "What do you want?"

"The girl stays," said Arlong. "And you die."

"If I cooperate, you'll promise not to hurt anyone in Nami's village?" questioned Ricky.

"ONE THOUSAND BRICK FIST!" Kuroobi screamed as he swung at Ricky with his best attack. **SWOOSH!** Once again, Ricky ducked Kuroobi's attack.

"HUNDRED-SHOT WATER BULLET!" Chew called out after sucking up a bunch of water out of the inlet in the middle of Arlong Park. He shot a barrage of water bullets at Ricky. **BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM! SPLOOSH!** Ricky jumped over the bullets, and they connected with Kuroobi's back, knocking him on his face.

Ricky reached down and pulled Kuroobi up by his long braid of hair, then took a deep breath and THREW him at Chew and Hachi. "Flying… ARROW KICK!" Ricky shouted as he ran after Kuroobi then jumped up and drove his feet into the fishman's back, **WHAM! **Kuroobi and Ricky crashed into Chew and Hachi, sending them all crashing down to the ground. Ricky stood up and casually stood over the fallen officers.

"Fine," Arlong conceded. "If you cooperate, I won't attack Nami's village."

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that," said Ricky. "If I leave Nami and stop fighting your men, you'll promise that no harm will befall on Cocoyashi Village or its inhabitants, by you, your fishmen, or anyone else."

"Ricky no!" Nami exclaimed. _"He's gonna let them kill him if Arlong promises not to attack my village! I can't let someone else die while trying to protect me!"_

"Fine, I'll agree to that," Arlong answered.

"Cut your hand and we'll shake on it," Ricky instructed. "I want an oath in blood. Your word means nothing to me."

"NO!" Nami screamed as ran over to Ricky. **POW!** Nami's punched him hard in the side of the face, but to her surprise, he seemed completely unfazed. Arlong produced a dagger and was watching the two humans curiously. "I WON'T LET YOU GIVE YOURSELF UP!" Nami reached up and started strangling him but this time even that didn't work. Ricky completely ignored her hands on his throat and didn't take his eye off of Arlong, who took the knife and cut his webbed hand.

Nami stopped strangling him and instead changed her hold to a tight hug and refused to let go. "I'm sorry I brought you into this," Nami apologized as she held onto him and fought to keep from crying. "Just please, don't do it! Don't give yourself up! I'll work something out!" Ricky frowned and looked down at Nami.

"Sorry Nami," he apologized. "This is the only way I could think of to assure that your village will be safe. Anyone who calls themselves a pirate, fishman, merman, giant, or human, abides by a blood oath. I wanted to go to the Grand Line with you, steal treasure from all the stupid pirates that were there. Maybe introduce you guys to my old pirate crew if we got that far. I guess it won't happen now."

"I'm ready," Arlong announced as he held up his hand which had a small cut on it, the blood was visible.

"Toss me the dagger," instructed Ricky, as he held up his free arm, Nami was still holding onto his other one, refusing to let him go. **WHAP!** Arlong threw the dagger and Ricky reached out and caught it. He put the dagger in his mouth and cut his palm with it then spat it out off to the side, **SLIK! KLAK!**

Ricky turned to Nami, but she was fighting and refusing to release his arm. Ricky reached up and pulled off his eye patch. Nami gasped when she saw a deep 'X' shaped scar over his closed eyelid. Ricky took advantage of her shock and pulled himself free, then handed her his eye patch. "Hold onto this for me," Ricky told her as he closed her hand around it, before turning to face Arlong as he walked over.

"Repeat after me," Ricky ordered, "I, 'Saw Tooth' Arlong…"

"I, 'Saw Tooth' Arlong," Arlong repeated.

"Agree that no harm shall befall on Cocoyashi Village, or its people…"

"Agree that no harm shall befall on Cocoyashi Village, or its people…"

"By me, my fishman crew, and any other outside forces influenced by me."

"By me, my fishman crew, and any other outside forces influenced by me."

"I swear this on my blood, so mote it be."

"I swear this on my blood, so mote it be."

"I, 'One Eye' Ricky," Ricky recited. "Do hereby agree to leave Nami here. And to stop fighting your fishmen followers while in Arlong Park. I swear this on my blood, so mote it be."

Ricky held out his hand and Arlong shook it, neither noticing the grin the other one had. "Glad we could come to that arrangement," Arlong commented. "SHARK ON TOOTH!" **CHOMP! **Arlong lunged forward and bit down on Ricky, he managed to move slightly to the side, leaving Arlong to bite only his right shoulder and not his head. Arlong's jaws were powerful enough to crush a cannonball, Ricky's bones were nothing compared to that.

"Unnngggg… stupid… fish…" Ricky groaned as he felt Arlong's teeth sink in and pulverize his shoulder. A red bloodstain began spreading down Ricky's right sleeve, blood dripped down to the ground.

"RICKY!" Nami screamed in horror.

Maybe she imagined it, but while Ricky was doubled over with Arlong's teeth in his shoulder, a red glow was coming off of the right side of his face. **SSHUNK! **Arlong's mouth opened and pulled off of Ricky's shoulder seemingly against the fishman's will, then Ricky's left arm shot out and connected with Arlong's stomach. **WHAM! **Arlong went flying backwards and slammed through the front wall of the first floor of Arlong Park. **KRASH!** The red glow was gone and Ricky dropped to one knee and held his right shoulder with his left hand. His right arm was limp at his side.

Ricky shakily stood up and started walking backwards towards the waterway leading into Arlong Park. "Goodbye Nami," said Ricky. "We'll always be Nakama." **SPLASH! **In slow motion Ricky fell backwards and dropped into the water, a cloud of blood rose to the surface, but through it Ricky could be seen pushing off of the wall of the inlet and shooting off like a torpedo.

"AFTER HIM!" yelled the fat blue fishman that had originally chased after Usopp. "He's only got one arm now! There's no way he can beat us in the water! HE'LL PAY FOR HITTING LORD ARLONG!"

**SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!** No less than fifteen fishmen got up and dove into the water and swam after Ricky, Nami was left staring after them in horror.

"No…" Nami gasped as she stared at the water in the inlet that was tainted with Ricky's blood, "No…"

Nami tore her gaze away from the water and noticed that Hachi, Kuroobi, and Chew were starting to get back up, she turned and ran off, struggling to keep the tears from falling. Arlong had betrayed her, and now Ricky, just like Bellemere, had given himself up for her and the safety of her village. She knew what fishmen were capable of under water, even Luffy and Zoro wouldn't be able to win, especially with only one arm.

Nami ran as fast as her feet could take her and realized something else, Genzo knew that Arlong had betrayed her. All of the people knew about the deal Arlong had broken his deal with her. With no way out, they were probably going to try and take matters into their own hands!

**-x-**

In Cocoyashi Village, Genzo was doing just as Nami had predicted, "THAT DOES IT!" Genzo shouted at the townspeople, "GET YOUR WEAPONS! IT'S TIME TO FIGHT!" The villagers cheered in agreement.

**-x-**

"_Mr. Genzo, everyone, please…"_ said Nami in her head, as she ran towards Cocoyashi Village, she wrapped Ricky's eye patch around the bandages on her left hand as she ran, _"Don't do it… don't throw away your lives! That would be the end of everything! You've got to stay alive or it will all be for nothing!_

**-x-**

"Eight long years ago we promised we wouldn't live our lives in vain," Genzo addressed the gathered villagers, they were all holding hoes and rakes and other sorts of makeshift weapons. Genzo stood in front of them with Nojiko and Dr. Nako wielding his sword and addressed them. "No matter the pain or humiliation we endured under Arlong, we swore to fight the long fight so Nami could meet their demands! BUT THEY LIED! They never intended to keep their end of the deal! Instead they stole our only chance at freedom! So now, we should make those filthy fishmen pay for the years they manipulated that kind young girl! ANY OBJECTIONS?"

YEAH! LET'S DO THIS!" a villager cheered.

"WE WERE ALWAYS READY TO FIGHT THOSE MONSTERS!" another agreed.

"LET'S GET 'EM!"

"TIME TO SHOW THOSE LOUSY FISHMEN WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!"

"YEEAAAAAHHHHHH!" the gathered group of villagers all cheered together.

"**EVERYBODY WAIT!**" Nami suddenly shouted.

"Nami…" said Nojiko as she and the villagers turned and saw Nami walking down the road towards them.

Her eyes were tear-free and she was smiling, "Calm down," she attempted to placate them, "It's not that much money! I can make it back in no time! I'll take care of it, don't worry!"

**-x-**

"Did we get him?" asked Arlong as he pulled himself out of the hole in the wall that he had been smashed through.

"Fifteen of our men went after him," Kuroobi informed him, beside the other two officers and Arlong, there were another seven fishmen left, two of which were the fishmen that had brought in Ricky and Zoro. "They're in the water, and thanks to the damage you did to his shoulder, he'll be fighting with one arm. I expect them to return with his body soon."

"Good," said Arlong as he picked up the sack of gems that Ricky had forgotten in the confusion. "None of us can kill the people in Cocoyashi Village, but there are plenty of other people to use against Nami to keep her here."

"You have a real cruel streak,** smek**," Chew commented, as he and the nine other fishmen gathered around Arlong.

"Is there any other way to keep Nami with us?" questioned Arlong, "I couldn't let an asset like Nami slip through our fingers. I may be cruel, but I'm not heartless. After she draws me maps of all of the world's oceans, I'll let her go."

"HA HA! THAT'LL TAKE HER DECADES!" laughed the fishmen.

"**Prepare yourselves, fishmen!**" came a loud shout as Johnny and Yosaku the Bounty Hunters appeared.

**-x-**

"It'll be easy this time!" Nami assured the villagers in an attempt to stop them from throwing their lives away against the fishmen. If a freak like Ricky couldn't fight them, these ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance. "I'm used to it! I'll be fine! Just relax, everything is okay! Hey, its nothing compared to back then!" Nami was wearing a smile that she'd perfected over the years, there were no longer any signs that it was forced.

"Come on everyone!" Nami continued, in another attempt to keep the villagers safe. That was the reason she agreed to this in the first place. She'd been forced to watch as Bellemere was shown, Genzo was slashed, and the rest of the villagers were clobbered. "I'm perfectly fine!"

With one arm still holding his sword, Genzo stepped forward and enveloped Nami in a one-armed hug. "You've done enough," said Genzo. "You have to know that there's no point now. You struggled so hard, carrying our lives on your back this whole time. I can only imagine that joining them must've been more painful than being stabbed through the heart. You fought very well."

Tears were appearing in Nami's eyes as Genzo held her, "Genzo…"

Genzo stepped back from Nami and released her, "Set yourself free from this village," he instructed.

"Genzo?" questioned Nami.

"Nami, do it," Nojiko encouraged her.

"What, Nojiko?" Nami said in surprise.

"Nami, go on," another villager added.

"You're an exceptional young woman," Nojiko told her, "and you have a dream."

"Everyone, listen!" Nami exclaimed as she held her arms out beside her to block their path, "I won't let you go!" She drew her knife and pointed it in front of her.

"_Nojiko… Nami…" Bellemere called out, "love you…" __**BANG!**_

"_Goodbye Nami," said Ricky. "We'll always be Nakama." __**SPLASH!**_

"Stay right there!" Nami threatened them as she held her knife in front of her. Everyone who fought Arlong died, Bellemere, Ricky… she didn't want to lose anyone else. "I'm not gonna let anyone else get hurt by these monsters! You'll all die."

"We know," Genzo confessed, **KLAP!** Genzo reached out and grabbed the glad of Nami's knife, and held it in his hand.

"Nami, it's no use," said Dr. Nako. "We've made up our minds."

Nami's tears were falling, she couldn't hold them back any longer.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Genzo shouted, causing Nami to step back in surprise. "FORWARD PEOPLE! WE MAY NOT WIN, BUT WE'LL GIVE 'EM HELL!" Genzo drew his sword and raised it up over his head.

"YEEAAAAHHHH!" the villagers cheered. They all charged passed Nami towards Arlong Park, Nami just stood there and could do nothing to stop them.

**KLAK!** **THUD!** Nami dropped her knife and fell to her knees, they knew they were going to die, but they were going to fight anyway.

_SHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

First she lost Bellemere, then Ricky, and now Nojiko, Genzo, and all her neighbors … she was losing everyone she ever cared about! Nami started crying. She gripped Ricky's eye patch – which was still wrapped around her bandaged left hand – with one hand while she clawed at the tattoo on her left shoulder with the other.

Nami reached out and grabbed the knife on the ground in front of her, feeling disgusted, upset, hurt, and angry at the thought of Arlong she let out a scream and plunged the knife down into the tattoo on her shoulder. "AAAAARRRGGG! ARRRRLOOONGGG! **SHUNK! **"ARLONG!" **SHUNK! **"ARLONG!"** SHUNK!** Nami screamed her tormentor's name over and over again as she stabbed the knife into her shoulder, looking to remove the tattoo completely. The pain in her shoulder was nothing compared to the pain in her heart, she wouldn't allow herself to bare Arlong's mark any longer.

"ARLONG!"** SHUNK! **"ARLONG!" **SHUNK! **"ARLONG!" **SHU—WHAP!**

Someone grabbed Nami's wrist before she could plunge it into her arm again, Nami looked over her shoulder to see Luffy standing there. "Luffy…" said Nami as she glanced up over her shoulder at him, blood was streaking down her legs arm and tears were streaking down her face. **KLANK!** Nami dropped the knife and stared at the ground in front of her.

"What do you want?" she asked. "You don't know anything about this. You don't know what's been happening on this island for the last eight years."

"Nope, I don't," Luffy admitted, he stared down at the girl and the eye patch that was wrapped around her left hand.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Nami exclaimed, "I told you to get off of this island!"

"Yup, you sure did," Luffy agreed.

**SKISH!** With her right hand Nami threw dirt behind her at Luffy. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" **SKISH! **"GET OUT OF HERE!" **SKISH!** "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" **SKISH! **"GO!" **SKISH! **"GO AWAY!" **SKISH! **"GO... GO… go…" Nami broke off and cried. "Luffy…" sobbed Nami, as she looked over her shoulder at him with tears streaking down her cheek, "Help me…"

"Of course," Luffy replied as he took his hat off and placed it on Nami's head, "that's what you do when you're Nakama." Luffy walked away from Nami and stood in the middle of the street and shouted, "HE'S GONNA PAAAAAYYYYY!"

"Luffy…" mumbled Nami, she remembered Luffy saying that his hat was his treasure.

Luffy walked down the street over to Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro who were all waiting nearby. "Let's go," Luffy commanded.

"RIGHT!" his three Nakama agreed in unison.

Nami stared down at the eye patch on her hand in shock, Ricky had been right. _"We all care about you. All of us, even Usopp, would be willing to take bullets for you at a second's notice. We'll do anything within our power to help you achieve your dreams. All of us are willing to go out and risk our lives to take down Arlong. Because you're Nakama. You're not just a navigator, not when our crew is concerned." _

Every member of the Straw Hat Crew was willing to do anything for her, even though she betrayed them, all of them were still here, ready to take on a monster like Arlong.

**-x-**

"Hey!" exclaimed one of the villagers when they reached Arlong Park, only to see Johnny and Yosaku sitting against the gate looking like they had just been beaten almost to death. "You two okay?"

"Did Arlong do this to you?" asked Genzo. "Move aside, we have business to take care of with the fishmen."

"We came here to make amends for misjudging Sister Nami," Johnny explained. "But we lost."

"We heard the whole story in the woods, and realized our mistake," Yosaku continued as he and Johnny stared at the ground in front of them, "now we're too ashamed to look up."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you through this door," Johnny apologized. "You're no match for the fishmen."

"What?" questioned the villagers.

"Be patient," Yosaku instructed them. "We're waiting for the arrival of a certain group of men."

"What certain men?" asked Genzo.

"Don't worry, they'll be here soon," Johnny assured them. "I'd bet my life on it."

Four figures approached in a distance. On the far left was Zoro with his sword in it's white sheath on his shoulder, he looked confident about going up against the fishmen, he had already gauged his one-sword skills against them and knew where he stood.

Next to him was Luffy, he was no longer wearing his signature straw hat and looked completely serious and very determined. That fish-guy had hurt his Nakama and that was all he needed to know, now he was gonna kick his ass.

Next to Luffy was Sanji who had his hands in his pocket and was smoking his cigarette, his beloved Miss. Nami had suffered because of these bastard fish and now he looked determined to avenge her and kick some heads in.

Finally on the right was Usopp, with his goggles down over his eyes and his weapons pouch hanging down at his side, he was showing no sign of fear, he looked like a brave warrior.

"THERE!" Johnny and Yosaku pointed out as they stood up and stared at the four pirates approaching in a distance.

"It's them," Nojiko realized.

"But why would they come to defend our village?" Genzo wondered.

"If those guys can't stand up to the fishmen," Yosaku said. "Then there really is no hope, not only for this island, but for the whole East Blue."

"Remember the faces of those four," Johnny advised. "They've come to change your destiny and to save the world."

The four pirates came closer and walked side-by-side towards Arlong Park. None of them seemed the least bit worried about taking on the fishmen.

"Move," Luffy ordered when they reached the crowd of villagers by the gate.

**-x-**

"Hey, those two that just came to challenge us," Arlong commented, "Do you really think they were Zoro's crewmates?"

"Those two?" Kuroobi replied as he stood beside Arlong's throne with his arms crossed. "Those weaklings? They weren't even worth killing!"

"Shahahaha!" Arlong laughed, "That's for sure!"

**BLAM! BLAM! **The fishmen were surprised as someone started pounding on the door, making big round indents in it. **KA-BLAM! **The door exploded inward leaving nothing but a lone figure where it once stood. "WHICH ONE OF YOU IS ARLONG?" Luffy demanded.

"Who are you?" questioned Arlong as he glared at the intruder.

**-x-**

**Okay, Let's Stand Up!**

**-x-**

"WHICH ONE OF YOU IS ARLONG?" Luffy demanded as he walked passed the broken remains of the door and entered Arlong Park.

"That would be me," Arlong answered from on his throne, "who are you?"

"I'm Luffy," said Luffy as he approached Arlong.

"Luffy?" Arlong repeated. "What're you supposed to be?"

"A pirate," Luffy replied as he continued to approach Arlong.

"Hey! That guy!" Hachi exclaimed. "I remember him! He's the guy that likes going on walks!"

Two of the few remaining fishmen stepped in front of Luffy, they were the two who had brought Ricky and Zoro in. "Where do you think you're going?" asked the brown fishman "Stop right there! You have to deal with us before you get to talk to Arlong!"

Luffy reached out and grabbed hold of the side of each of the fishmen's head, "Get out of my way!" Luffy ordered, **KONK!** Luffy violently slammed both of the fishmen's heads together. The fishmen crashed to the ground unconscious and Luffy stepped over them and kept going.

Arlong and his fishmen looked surprised at the strength shown by the human, "What business do you have with me, pirate?" asked Arlong, who was curious about what brought this human here.

**KA-POW! **Luffy pulled back his fish and punch Arlong right in the face, Arlong was taken off guard and went flying and crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the park. **KRASH!**

"LORD ARLONG!" a fishman screamed in shock of seeing his leader get blasted into a wall… again.

Arlong sat up and the bottom of the wall he had been knocked into and glared at the human that had just hit him. "Who the hell are you…" Arlong growled, but Luffy cut him off.

"_Luffy…" Nami sobbed as she looked over her shoulder at him with tears streaking down her cheek, "Help me…"_

"YOU MADE OUR NAVIGATOR CRY!" Luffy shouted as he glared right back at Arlong.

"HUMAN SCUM!" a fishman yelled as he and four other fishmen charged at Luffy, "YOU CROSSED THE LINE!"

But the fishmen didn't get far, "STAY OUT OF THIS YOU SHITTY FISH!" came a shout from Sanji. **THWAK-WAK-WAK! **Sanji dropped down onto his hands and swung his legs around sending all of the fishmen flying.

Arlong looked up in alarm, all of his remaining men had been sent flying. The only ones left were his three officers. Everyone else had gone after One Eye or was just knocked out.

"You always have to dive right in, don't you?" questioned Sanji as he, Zoro, and Usopp walked up to Luffy.

"Don't worry, I can handle these bozos on my own," Luffy assured him.

"I never said anything about being worried, you moron," Sanji snapped, "Just save a little for the rest of us!"

"Okay," Luffy replied.

"It's okay with me if you don't share, Luffy," Usopp cut in.

"How very generous of you, Usopp," Zoro commented as he shook his head at the marksman.

"AAHH! IT'S HIM! THAT'S ONE OF THE GUYS THAT TRICKED US!" Hachi exclaimed as he pointed two of his arms at Zoro.

"Roronoa Zoro," said Kuroobi as he glared at the former pirate hunter.

"That's one of the guys that tricked me!" Hachi snapped. "I can't believe I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker!"

"And Long-Nose is alive," another fishman pointed out as he struggled to sit up after being kicked by Sanji.

"AAAAAHHH!" Hachi gasped. "BUT HE'S DEAD! WE SAW NAMI KILL HIM!"

"Oh, he's alive," Chew replied, "which means…"

"Humph," Kuroobi grunted, "that Nami was a traitor all along. Just as I suspected."

"_Pirates,_"Arlong commented to himself, "_So that's the connection. This must be the Straw Hat Crew that One Eye was talking about._"

**-x-**

"Who are those guys?" a villager wondered, Johnny and Yosaku were both still in the way holding their swords between them to keep the villagers from entering Arlong Park.

"That guy just decked Arlong!" Dr. Nako exclaimed.

"No human should be able to do that," said Genzo.

"What's this…" Nojiko commented to herself, she had met those pirates on the beach and they hadn't appeared _that_ strong.

"Didn't we tell you?" questioned Yosaku. "Just stay back here."

"Now do you understand why we're keeping you away from that fight?" asked Johnny. "You guys will just get in their way."

"Why are you doing this?" Genzo inquired. "Why are you risking your lives?"

"They made Sister Nami cry," Johnny answered simply.

"And that's a good enough reason for us to risk our lives!" Yosaku added.

**-x-**

"Shahaha! You mean to tell me, you came here for Nami?" questioned Arlong with a laugh, "You're just a bunch of inferior humans! THE GIRL IS MINE, AND I'M NOT GIVING HER UP!"

"A bunch of idiots like you aren't worthy of Arlong's time!" said Hachi as he walked in front of the four human pirates. "We know how to deal with you!" Hachi turned around and played his trumpet, **NYUU! NYUU! **"SHOW YOURSELF MY POWERFUL WARRIOR!"

**FWOOOOSH!** A large wave appeared outside of Arlong Park and passed the entrance of the waterway.

"What, no!" exclaimed some of the villagers that were listening.

"It's here!" Nojiko gasped.

"AHHH! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE GUYS!" Usopp screamed.

**WOOOSH! **A whirlpool appeared in the middle of the inlet as something began to rise up out of the water.

"YOU'RE ALL ABOUT TO BE TURNED INTO FISH FOOD!" Hachi taunted, "MOHMOO! RISE!"

"IT'S A MONSTER!" Usopp shrieked in terror. "THAT'S THE MONSTER FROM THE GRAND LINE THAT DESTROYED GOSA!"

**SPLASH!** The water that had gone up to several stories high dropped down to reveal a familiar monster. Mohmoo the giant sea cow floated in the waterway with a large lump on his head from when he ran head-first into the shoreline. "MOOOO!" said Mohmoo.

"GAAAHH!" Usopp screamed.

"It's actually here!" exclaimed a villager. "OH NO!"

"IT'S MOHMOO!" Dr. Nako shouted.

Mohmoo swam closer and looked down at the humans he'd been called to destroy. **DOOM! **It was the two freaks from the boat! "MOOOOOO!"

"He's back," Luffy commented.

"Seems he's a friend of the fishmen," Sanji reasoned.

Mohmoo cried as he remembered his encounter with the two freaks.

"_GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" Luffy shouted as he shot out his rubber fist and punched Mohmoo upside the head. __**BOING!**__**SPLOOSH! **__Mohmoo went crashing down into the water from the impact,_

_Sanji jumped up onto the railing and leapt up into the air, "COLLIAR SHOOT!" __**KA-BAM! **__Sanji swung his foot around and kicked Mohmoo in the neck._

Mohmoo didn't want to deal with those two, they scared him. "Mooo!" Mohmoo turned around and began to swim away.

"Hey! Stop! **Nyuu**!" Hachi exclaimed."GET BACK HERE MOHMOO! **NYUU! **YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE! MOHMOOOO! **NYUU!**"

**"Leaving? That's a shame," **Arlong commented in a cold voice causing Mohmoo to stop where he floated. "Well I suppose if you want to run away, I won't stop you. Well then?" Arlong's words had a dramatic effect of the giant sea-cow. Either Mohmoo was more afraid of Arlong than the two humans or he had a special way of communicating with sea creatures, as if he was in a rage-filled trance, Mohmoo turned around and charged the humans.

"MOOOOOOOO!"

"Here it comes!" Usopp screamed. "AAAAHHHH!"

"Let's follow Mohmoo's lead!" yelled the brown fishman as he and the other six fought back up to their feet, "We need to teach those puny humans a lesson!"

Zoro prepared to draw his sword, Sanji got ready to fight, Usopp continued screaming, but Luffy cut them off, "You're all mine!" Luffy announced. "You dumb hippo!" **KLAK!** Luffy smashed his fists together and got ready.

"MOOOOOOOO!" Mohmoo and the fishmen kept charging at Luffy, but the only thing the Straw Hat Pirate did was lift his foot and smash it down into the stone underneath him.** TOMP!** Then he took his other foot and did the same thing. **TOMP!**

"What's he doing?" Sanji wondered.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Zoro commented.

With his feet stuck in the stone underneath him, Luffy twisted his body around over and over again, then he shot his arms out and grabbed Mohmoo's horns as the monster approached. Mohmoo and the fishmen all stopped and stared in disbelief.

"His arms stretched!" Hachi exclaimed.

"So he must have Devil Fruit Powers," Arlong realized.

"Powers?" repeated one of the fishmen.

"Who cares!" another snapped. "Lets get him!" The fishman once again charged Luffy.

"Let's get out of here!" said Zoro in alarm.

"What's he doing?" Sanji asked Zoro.

"I'm not sure if I wanna find out!" Zoro replied, he and Sanji turned and ran out of the way, Usopp was already long gone.

Thinking about the pinwheel he'd seen on Genzo's hat, Luffy began his attack, "GUM… GUM…"

"…PINWHEEL!" Luffy swung his twisted body around and using his freakish strength he lifted the giant sea-cow up out of the water and swung it around, **KA-BOOOOOM!** **SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! **Luffy continued to untwist while swinging Mohmoo around over his head, he eventually let go and Mohmoo went flying over the wall and out of Arlong Park, **SPLASH!**

"Enough of the small fries!" Luffy shouted, as he turned and glared at Arlong, "The only person I came here to beat up… IS YOU!"

"How very convenient," Arlong commented, "Because I was thinking about beating you too!"

**THUNK! **"THAT WAS THE WORST PLAN EVER!" Sanji scolded him as he repeatedly prodded Luffy on the head with his foot. **THUNK! THUNK!**

"WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO?" Usopp demanded. "KILL US TOO?"

"Looks like we'll have to get involved," Kuroobi said to Hachi and Chew, but in all actuality apart from Arlong, they were the only mermen left. All the others were off killing One Eye, or were just taken out by the rubber human.

"How could he do that to our comrades!" Hachi raged. "**Nyuu!**"

"**Smek,** we have to teach them the difference between our species," Chew agreed.

"Now the real players show up," Zoro commented as he noticed the three fishmen standing across from him and the other Straw Hats.

"That was dangerous you idiot!" Sanji scolded Luffy as he kicked him on top of the head.

"You'll get us all killed!" Usopp snapped.

**-x-**

**Luffy in Black**

**-x-**

"He sent that huge beast from the Grand Line flying!" one of the villagers exclaimed. Luffy's attack had taken a drastic toll on the fishmen. Mohmoo was floating upside-down in the water outside of Arlong Park, and the only fishmen that were still conscious were Arlong, Chew, Hachi, and Kuroobi. "What incredible power! This is unbelievable!"

"It's like the gods themselves are fighting," Genzo commented.

**-x-**

"We should've crushed those humans as soon as they showed up," Kuroobi said to Hachi and Chew. Then he turned his attention to Arlong, "Lord Arlong, please don't get worked up!"

"If you lose your temper, you could destroy all of Arlong Park, **smek**!" Chew warned him.

"Time for zero visibility," Hachi announced as he bent down and crossed his six arms.

"That octopus is up to something," Zoro said to the other three… uh… two… Usopp was already hiding.

"Octopus is best when its cut thin and salted," Sanji remarked as he thought of a good recipe for Calamari. "Add some olive oil and paprika and it makes the perfect snack while drinking."

"Hey guys," said Luffy as he tried to get Zoro and Sanji's attention. "There's a little problem…"

"HACHI INK JET!" Hachi shouted as he stood up and blasted a powerful black jet of ink out of his mouth and at the pirates. **FLOOOSH!**

Sanji and Zoro dove out of the way. **SPLAKK! **Luffy on the other hand, didn't move and ended up taking a direct hit from the ink gun and was soon completely covered in the black octopus ink.

"Idiot, how come you didn't dodge that?" Zoro snapped.

"AAAHHH! I can't see!" Luffy screamed, he had been blinded by the black octopus ink.

"Now to finish you off," said Hachi as he picked up a piece of Arlong Park that was over ten times as big as he was. Luffy had knocked it loose when he swung Mohmoo around.

"Luffy, get out of there!" Usopp shrieked from around a corner while Hachi walked closer to Luffy while holding the giant piece of rock over his head.

"That's the problem," Luffy replied, "I'm stuck here!" Luffy's feet were still caught in the stone, he was stuck and couldn't move. "I can't move my legs, and I can't see!"

"Oh boy," Sanji muttered.

"What an idiot," Zoro groaned.

"But you did that by yourself!" Usopp exclaimed.

"One Hachi Ink Jet… ON THE ROCKS!" Hachi shouted as he slammed the giant piece of rock down on Luffy, **WHAM!**

**KREK!** The rock suddenly split in half. **KA-BOOOSH! **Sanji was standing in between the two pieces of rock with his leg poised up in the air, "You are such a pain," Sanji complained.

"Hooray Sanji!" Luffy cheered. "That was so cool!"

"Looks like I picked one hell of an idiot to become my captain," Sanji commented.

"We all did," Zoro agreed.

"HEY! LUFFY'S GREAT!" Usopp protested.

"But hey," Sanji continued. "the truth is, our idiot is a hundred times better than a bunch of women-hating bastard fish. None of you has any idea how to treat a lady."

"A lady, huh?" said Kuroobi. "You rushed into certain death for one lousy girl? I think that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"Lousy girl?" Sanji repeated as he glared at the ray fishman, "If you insult Nami one more time I can promise that you'll go from fish_man_ to fish _sticks_. Got that?"

"You're strong for a human," Kuroobi admitted. "And that was rather gallant, but you are nothing compared to us!"

"Oh?" questioned Sanji.

"My feet still won't come out," Luffy told Usopp, as he tried pulling Luffy's feet free.

"Still?" repeated Usopp as he grabbed Luffy and pulled, but his legs stayed stuck.

"They're still there," Luffy said. "We could pull all day, but they'd still be stuck there."

"Are you taking this seriously at all?" Usopp snapped as he ran and pulled Luffy along with him.

"Don't you human know that the penalty for playing around in Arlong Park…" Hachi reached down and picked up another huge chunk of rock, "IS DEATH!"

"AAAAAAHHH!" Usopp screamed as he started running, stretching Luffy along with him, "Come on Luffy, GET UN-STUCK!"

"Hey Octopus," Zoro called out as he held his sword out in front of Hachi, "Those two are busy right now. Why don't you take me on?"

"Roronoa Zoro," Hachi growled, "I almost forgot about you! You and that friend of yours made a fool out of me!" Hachi jumped up in the air and threw the rock down at Zoro, **KRASH! **But the swordsman quickly jumped out of the way and dodged the rock all together.

"That stuff's old news octopus," Zoro shot back. "I didn't trick you, Ricky did, and he does that to everybody You guys aren't doing the terrorizing, we are!"

"Ricky?" repeated Hachi, "Oh, you mean One Eye? That human we had killed before?"

"Killed?" questioned Zoro.

"Yeah, that fool came here by himself and tried to make a deal with Arlong," Hachi explained. "He tried to take us all on then swam away. But a bunch of our best men went after him, so he's as good as dead now. In no time they'll bring the body back."

"Atta boy Zoro," Usopp cheered as he gave the swordsman a thumbs up and wiped his brow from the sweat, "You can take the octopus." But what Usopp had just done required two hands, he had let go of Luffy, causing the rubber pirate's legs to retract, sending Luffy speeding back over to where he was stuck before.** VEEEEEEING!** "OH NO! I FORGOT TO HOLD ONTO HIM! LUFFY!"

Luffy screamed as he launched backwards at and incredible speed, hopefully nothing got in his way. "Huh," said Chew as he noticed the pirate flying right at him. **WHAM!** Luffy collided with Chew and knocked the fishman to the ground.

"Darn, back here again," Luffy groaned as returned to his previous stuck state.

"Oh crap," Usopp whimpered as Chew got back to his feet.

"I get it now," Chew realized, "you must really want me to kill you!" Chew rushed at Usopp.

"AAAAAHHH!" Usopp screamed and ran away and through the destroyed entrance of Arlong Park.

"Brother Usopp!" Johnny exclaimed as Usopp ran passed him and Yosaku.

"Isn't he the guy that saved Genzo at the village?" questioned a villager.

"He's one of them?" another villager wondered.

"Hey, you weaklings are still here? **Smek**," Chew commented as he came through the hole and noticed the two Bounty Hunters standing there. But then he noticed all of the villagers, "You're all from Cocoyashi. Judging from your weapons, I can only guess that this is rebellion. That means that everyone one of you will have to…"

"FIRE STAR!" **FWOOOOSH!** A large fireball hit Chew in the face, knocking him backwards, "YOUR OPPONENT… IS ME! GOT THAT FISH-FACE?"

"Okay, NOW I'M _REALLY_ GONNA KILL YOU!" Chew yelled as he got to his feet and ran at Usopp.

"WWWAAAAAAHHHHH!" Usopp once again ran away screaming.

"Is there something wrong with that young man?" Genzo wondered.

"No, he's just an odd one," Dr. Nako replied. "One moment he's brave, the next he runs away screaming."

"_A guy like that,"_ Nojiko commented to herself, "_Fighting the fishmen?"_

**-x-**

"GET BACK HERE LONG NOSE!" Chew yelled as he chased Usopp along the path from Arlong Park to Cocoyashi.

"OH YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, BIG MOUTH!" Usopp countered as he continued running for his life.

**-x-**

Back inside Arlong Park, Arlong had gotten up to his feet. "Lord Arlong," said Kuroobi, "Please, don't get mad."

"It's alright," Arlong replied, as he approached the group of pirates and fishmen, "This is just a small matter…"

"You're mine," Luffy shouted as he shot his fist out at Arlong, "I'll kick your ass!" **BWOOOM!**

**WOOOSH! **Luffy's arm whizzed passed Arlong's head, then he reached out and caught his wrist as his arm came back, **WAP! **"Do you humans actually thing you can beat us?" asked Arlong.

"Yeah, we actually do," Sanji answered.

"Darn right we do!" Luffy agreed. "Now let go of my hand!"

"Is there something you want to say?" questioned Zoro.

"No not really," Arlong replied as he walked over to Luffy then drove his hand down into the stone at Luffy's feet,** KRAK-A-KRECK! **With a yank Arlong pulled Luffy and a chunk of rock three times as big as Luffy out of the ground and held him over his head. Arlong laughed as he held Luffy and the rock his feet were trapped in up above his head. "Shahahhaa! Why don't we play a game?"

"Hey! Put me down!" Luffy shouted.

"Shahaha! People who have eaten the Devil Fruit can't swim," Arlong laughed as he held Luffy in the air, "But in your condition, you'd drown anyway. So let's play, _Drown the Human_!"

"Not the ocean!" Zoro exclaimed.

"GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" Luffy shouted as he shot his free hand at Arlong's face, **KA-BAM! **Arlong opened his mouth and bit down on Luffy's hand. "Hey! That Hurt!"

"Idiot," Arlong taunted as he held Luffy's fist in his teeth.

"You biter!" Luffy complained as he bit Arlong's arm in retaliation. **CHOMP!**

"He's finished," observed Kuroobi as he watched Arlong throw Luffy HIGH up into the air, over the wall of Arlong Park and into the ocean on the other side, **SPLASH!**

"SHAHAHAHAHA!" Arlong laughed, amused by his sick game.

"LUFFY!" Zoro hollered.

"Why, you!" Sanji growled as he turned and raced towards the water Arlong had thrown Luffy into, "I'm coming Luffy!"

"Wait!" Zoro exclaimed as he grabbed Sanji's arm. "Don't be stupid, those fishmen can't wait for us to jump in the water after him. They'd have an obvious advantage in an underwater fight. There's only one way to rescue Luffy… we've gotta take these guys out at the same time, then go in the water. There's no time, let's do this." Zoro drew his sword and held it in front of him.

"Right!" Sanji agreed.

"So how long can he hold out, huh?" Arlong wondered as he sat off to the side to watch the fight. "Time is ticking."

"Oh, so that's the game," Hachi realized.

"I get it," Kuroobi commented.

"You can take the fish," Zoro offered.

"You slice and trim the octopus," Sanji replied.

**-x-**

"_I can't move,"_ Luffy said to himself as he plummeted further down into the water. The water was keeping him from move in the first place, on top of that he had his feet stuck in the giant chunk of rock that was pulling him down and making him sink.

**-x-**

Meanwhile, Usopp was still running away from Chew as fast as he could and was screaming at the top of his lungs. "AAAAAHHH!" _"OH CRAP! I'M GONNA BE KILLED!"_

**-x-**

Ricky's gone, Luffy's drowning, and Usopp's running away. Next chapter Zoro has to fight Hachi, but can he and Sanji beat Arlong and his officers? And to add to their ever growing list of problems, Zoro's wounds from his duel with Mihawk are acting up, he'll be acting like a zombie.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	36. Chapter 35

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Zombie**

**-x-**

Hachi and Kuroobi laughed as Zoro and Sanji stood across from them. "Hey, Calamari, lets do this," said Zoro.

"**Nyu! **You wannna play with me?" Hachi replied, he wasn't scared of a _human_ swordsman.

"That was a dirty trick you rotten fish!" Sanji snapped as he glared at Kuroobi, angry that Arlong had thrown Luffy into the water. Even if Luffy could swim, he'd still drown from being stuck in the rock.

"What's your hurry?" Kuroobi replied. "It's not like you have any chance of surviving! You fools are rushing to your deaths."

Meanwhile Luffy's situation was getting worse, but that only seemed to make Arlong happier. "Shahaha, you can't even breathe under water," Arlong chuckled. "What a puny species you are!"

**-x-**

"This looks bad," said Yosaku, "Luffy's in trouble."

"There's nothing he can do to save himself," Johnny agreed. Nojiko and Genzo looked on in shock, what was that supposed to mean?

**-x-**

"I'll finish you in five seconds!" Zoro exclaimed as he rushed at Hachi with his sword drawn.

"HACHI INK JET!" Hachi shouted as he shot out another stream of black ink. **FWOOOOSH! **Zoro kept charging at the fishman and quickly jumped out of the way of the way and dodged the blast, then he slashed his sword to the side, but Hachi quickly ducked down, **SLISH! **Zoro missed Hachi but ended up cutting off some of his hair.

"MY HAIR!" Hachi shrieked. "You brat! You think I'll let you get away with that? Well you're right… it's only hair, I'll grow it back."

"Uh… thanks," Zoro replied.

Sanji was watching Zoro and the octopus fishman fight and noticed that Zoro was already short of breath. "Uh oh," Zoro muttered.

"Keep on your toes is you want to live a little while longer!" Kuroobi snapped as he suddenly swung at Sanji.

**SWOOOSH! **Sanji managed to dodge the blow."Hah, a fish should never pit himself against a Chef," Sanji countered as he dropped to his hands and swung his leg around for a kick, **THWAK! **Kuroobi got his arm up and blocked the attack with relative ease.

**-x-**

Back in the water, Luffy was still drowning, "_I CAN'T BREATHE!"_ Luffy silently screamed.

**-x-**

But back above water Zoro and Hachi were continuing their battle. "Roronoa Zoro, no swordsman is a match for me!" Hachi snapped, "Can't you understand that?"

"You talk too much!" Zoro growled as he charged in with his sword raised above his head.

"HACHI TRIPLE SWORD CATCH!" Hachi shouted as he raised his six arms and brought them together and attempted to catch Zoro's sword as the former Pirate Hunter brought it slashing down. **WAPWAPWAP! **Zoro's sword was going too fast and it ended up cutting Hachi's hands. "YOWWW!"

"I don't have time to play with you," Zoro groaned as he watched the octopus fishman flinch. "This is taking too long… hurry up and die!" Zoro charged at Hachi again.

"HACHI STICK UP!" Hachi yelled as he jumped up into the air and used the suction cups on his arms to stick upside-down to the wall above Zoro's head.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zoro demanded. "Get down here! Are you trying to waste my time?"

"I hear you use a three-sword style," Hachi commented without even trying to get down, "Why are you using only one sword?"

"You're losing badly enough with only one, fish!" Zoro taunted him.

"Shut up!" Hachi shot back, "I haven't even gotten serious yet! There's a reason why no human swordsman can beat me!"

**-x-**

"Darn it, that octopus is wasting time!" Johnny realized.

"They can't go into the water of they'll go right into their trap," Yosaku pointed out.

"But at this rate Brother Luffy is doomed!" Johnny exclaimed.

"We've got to do something to save him!" Yosaku agreed as the turned to go to Luffy's aid.

"Wait," Genzo called after them as he placed a hand on Yosaku's arm, causing the Bounty Hunter to yelp in pain. "You two are still injured. What will you be able to do? I'll help the rubber boy."

"Genzo, I'll go with you," Nojiko volunteered. A bunch of other villagers also volunteered to go as well. But Genzo would have none of it.

"No," said Genzo. "If there are too many people we'll draw the attention of the mermen. It will interrupt their fight and those pirates will have fought for nothing. I'll go alone."

"But Mr. Genzo," a villager protested.

"That's an order," Genzo resolved as he picked up his hammer and turned to head inside.

"Good luck," Johnny said to Genzo.

"We'll leave it to you," Yosaku continued, "But please hurry."

"Mr. Genzo, I'm going too!" Nojiko cut in, with a determined look on her face.

"Nojiko…" Genzo tried to argue.

"Those guys are fighting for my sister," said Nojiko as she stared at Genzo. Genzo stared back and realized Nojiko wasn't going to give in.

"Come on, we have to hurry," Genzo relented as he started running in.

"Right," Nojiko agreed as she raced after Genzo.

**-x-**

"You can't possibly win," Hachi taunted from where he was still handing on the wall, but suddenly Zoro collapsed to the ground. **FWUMP!**

"His wounds from Hawk Eye!" Sanji exclaimed, the deep gashes and cuts Mihawk had inflicted on Zoro hadn't fully healed, and Zoro was feeling the effects of that now.

"Now's my chance," Hachi realized, "FLAMING OCTOPUS PUNCH!" Hachi shot his six arms into the wall over and over again like a machine gun, **WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! **Hachi jumped away from the wall and landed on the ground. "I'LL CRUSH YOU RORONOA ZORO!"

Hachi laughed but Zoro reached out and grabbed him then tossed him to the ground and calmly walked forward. **KA-BLOOOSH! **The rock Hachi had punched loose came crashing down where Zoro had been standing… right on top of Hachi.

Again Zoro collapsed to the ground, "Crap, why now?" he complained.

"Those wounds were too deep after all," Yosaku realized.

"Of course," Johnny replied. "A normal person would have died from an injury like that! Our brother has been suffering in silence all this time!"

**-x-**

"I thought it was strange that he got cut up like that and recovered so quickly," Sanji muttered, "That idiot!"

"ONE HUNDRED BRICK FIST!" **WHAM!** Kuroobi shot out his fist and caught Sanji in the chest launching the cook backwards and causing him to smash through the wall of Arlong Park.** KRASH!** "I told you to stay on your toes," Kuroobi taunted, "I'm a fortieth degree black belt in Fishman Karate!"

**-x-**

"What was that!" one of the gathered villagers exclaimed, "Was that man flying!"

"BROTHER COOK!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted at the same time.

**-x-**

"That's the last of them Lord Arlong," Kuroobi reported as he stood over the crouching form of Zoro. "What do you want done with Roronoa Zoro?"

"Just throw him and the others into the sea," Arlong replied, "What boring creatures. Hachi wake up! How long are you going to sleep there?"

**KRASH! **In response Hachi erupted up out of the rubble and got to his feet, "RORONOA ZORO! I'M REALLY MAD NOW!" Hachi screamed, "I'LL KILL YOU!" Hachi quickly got a set of six swords and held one of them in each of his hands, "I am the Greatest Swordsman on this island! I use **Rokutou**! (Six-Sword Style) Even if hell freezes over a mere human could never defeat me!" **WOOOOOSH!** To prove his point Hachi spun around, swinging his six swords wildly, the force from all the swords created a tornado that went up above Hachi's head.

"That's enough Hachi!" Kuroobi scolded him. "I know how you feel, but if you get too mad you'll destroy Arlong Park!" Hachi reluctantly stopped spinning and turned his attention to Zoro who was just getting back up.

"Let me tell you something, Squidy," said Zoro, as he untied his bandana from his arm then tied it onto his head. "There's a man I have to meet, and until I see him again, now one can take my life!" Zoro then turned to his bounty hunter partners, "Yosaku, Johnny, let me borrow your swords!"

"Yay! Zoro!" the Bounty Hunters cheered.

"I'll show you my Santōryū," Zoro told the fishman.

"I'LL KILL YOU RORONOA ZORO!" Hachi yelled.

"So he was still alive," Kuroobi commented idly.

**-x-**

Outside of Arlong Park, Sanji was still alive too. Much to the amazement of the gathered villagers he simply lit a cigarette and got back up to his feet. "Hmph, that's it?" questioned Sanji, who had blood dripping down his face from the gash Kuroobi had made. "If that was a level forty punch, then that old man's kicks must have been level four hundred!"

**-x-**

Meanwhile Nojiko and Genzo had made it into the water and were making their way down to Luffy's unconscious form.

**-x-**

Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs as he continued running from Chew, "AAAAAAAHHHH!"

**-x-**

**Three Swords vs. Six**

**-x-**

"Brother Zoro is in bad shape," said Yosaku, as he and Johnny watched their former partner fight to stay on his feet. "His wounds from Hawk Eye must be causing him great pain."

"If those wounds open now, he'll die for sure!" Johnny exclaimed.

"But there's no time to worry about that!" Yosaku snapped.

"Brother Zoro is the only one who can take care of this," Johnny added.

**-x-**

Back inside, Zoro and Hachi were getting ready to started, but already Zoro was showing signs of fatigue. Hachi was quick to point this out. "Roronoa Zoro, you look like a walking corpse! And I haven't even started on you yet!"

"Keep your comments to yourself," Zoro shot back as he tied on his bandana.

"BROTHER CATCH!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted as they threw their swords at Zoro. The two blades spun in the air like a pair of buzzsaws as they approached Zoro.

"_This is bad,"_ Zoro commented to himself, _"I almost passed out. And my fever is rising…"_

"Brother our swords!" Johnny yelled as the two swords whizzed towards Zoro from behind, did Zoro know they were coming?

"We threw our swords to you!" Yosaku called out, "Catch them!"

"I'll show you a world a normal two-armed human can't enter!" Hachi taunted as he held his six swords at the ready. "This is the six-sword style! Only a person with six arms can do it!"

"BROTHER ZORO, LOOK OUT!" Johnny and Yosaku screamed as the two swords whirled even closer to Zoro.

"OCTOPUS ARM MIRACLE SWORDS!" Hachi shouted as he poised his six blades at the ready and charged at Zoro.

Zoro spun around and caught the two incoming swords, then slipped in between the six blades Hachi was wielding, "Three-Sword Style …" started Zoro as he dodged the frantic six-sword strike. **WHUP! WHUP! WHUP!**

"Try countering this with only three swords!" Hachi challenged as he continued slashing his swords out at Zoro, who continued to dodge them and swat them away. **WHUP! WHUP! WHUP!**

"…STREAMING WOLF SWORDS!" Zoro shouted as he slashed his three blades and slipped passed Hachi. **SLISH!**

"**Nyu**?" said Hachi as he stood in surprise how Zoro had gotten behind him and had dodged his attack. Arlong and Kuroobi were wondering along the same lines. **PLURT!** Hachi yelled out in pain as blood splurted out of a large gash on his chest. Zoro had gotten a hit in and had dodged Hachi's six-sword attack all in one move!

"He did it!" Yosaku exclaimed.

"He got passed that six-sword whirlwind!" Johnny yelled out. "That's incredible!" All the villagers agreed with the bounty hunters and stared in shock, any of them would've been turned to mince meat by now!

"NOW YOU'VE REALLY MADE ME MAD!" Hachi hollered as he turned to face Zoro again, "I'm gonna chop you up! Just think about it mathematically, three blades is the maximum you can hold, you have no chance against me!"

"Mathematically?" Zoro repeated, as he thought back to Mihawk comments about his amazing spirit. "That would be a grave miscalculation. I may only have three swords, but mine are much heavier than yours!" The two swordsmen faced each other and had another stand off.

**-x-**

Underwater, Genzo and Nojiko had made it to Luffy, Genzo was trying to smash the rock around Luffy's feet with his hammer, "He's swallowed a lot of water," Nojiko reported. "If we can't free him soon it will be too late!"

"Darn it, I don't know if this will work on the ocean floor," said Genzo as he smashed the hammer down on the rock again. But due to being under water, he hadn't hit the rock as hard as he could normally, so it did nothing. "I don't have much power due to the water resistance."

"Mr. Genzo, we need to hurry," Nojiko reminded him.

"I can't," replied Genzo, "the rock isn't breaking. And I can't carry him to the surface with that rock attached. I need an oxygen tank, but there's not enough time to get one."

"That's it!" Nojiko suddenly realized, she had a temporary plan.

**-x-**

Back at Arlong Park Zoro and Hachi were getting ready to continue their battle. "You think your swords weight more that mine?" questioned Hachi, "you idiot, my swords are much heavier than yours! Each of my swords weight six hundred fifty pounds!"

"I won't waste words on a fool," Zoro muttered.

"ROKUTOU!" Hachi called out as he brought his six swords together in a point, **KLANG! **"OCTOPUS POT STANCE!" Hachi charged at Zoro with his swords poised for attack. "NEW YEARS …" Hachi drove his swords forward, but Zoro blocked them with two of his, **KLANK! KLANG!** "OPEN BODY!" Hachi suddenly pulled his swords apart, separating Zoro's swords in the process, **SHOOOM! **Now Zoro was wide open, "SLAM!" Hachi shot his head forward and drove it into Zoro's stomach, **WHAM! **Zoro was launched up into the air as he let out a grunt of pain.

"OH NO! HIS WOUNDS!" Yosaku screamed.

"BROTHER ZORO IS GONNA DIE!" Johnny shouted.

"I won't let you touch down alive!" Hachi exclaimed as Zoro kept flying up in the air. "WALTZ OF THE SIX SWORDS!" Hachi started spinning around over and over again, **FWIIRRRR! **Zoro started his descent and was going down towards what looked like an evil fan of doom!

"If you so much as touch my swords you mincemeat!" Hachi yelled. "Prepare to be diced!" **FWUPFWUPFWUP!**

Zoro saw what he was plummeting towards so he quickly stared spinning around as well. **FWUPFWUP! **Zoro came down on Hachi, both swordsman were spinning, everyone was waiting for the inevitable sound of Zoro being sliced to pieces but it never came, instead the was a sole slashing sound. The spectators stared in shock as Zoro landed on his feet, while Hachi yelled out in pain and dropped his swords. Hachi held his hands up and saw that they were bleeding.

"How? What coulda happened?" asked Yosaku.

"Yosaku, all of this fighting is sure to open up Brother Zoro's wounds," Johnny pointed out.

"That human matched the rotation of my blades and passed right through," Hachi realized. "He even managed to cut up my hands. Well I'm a swordsman, not an acrobat!" Hachi turned to Zoro and shouted at him, "Now I've really had it with you. Now I'm really gonna kill you!" Zoro just stood where he was with his back to Hachi, he was starting to feel faint.

"Brother Zoro looks like he's in pain," Yosaku observed, "I'd trade places with him if I could."

"_Even if most people would pass out from wounds like these, I can not fall!" _Zoro resolved to himself.

Hachi picked up his swords and put them together in a point like he had before, **KLANG! **"OCTOPUS POT STANCE!" Hachi shouted, "You're as good as dead!"

"_Even though a normal person would have died from this pain, I can not die,"_ Zoro said to himself as Hachi charged at him.

"This attack is one hundred percent unblockable!" Hachi exclaimed as he rushed in, "It already worked on you once!"

"_I have to live to beat Hawk Eye Mihawk!_" Zoro said to himself,_ "I can't lose!" _"DEMON…"

Hachi reached Zoro and shouted out his attack, "NEW YEARS …"

"SLICE!" finished Zoro as he charged at Hachi while slashing all three of his swords, **KREEESH! **Hachi's swords all broke in half! Hachi stared in surprise as his swords broke apart and the top parts clattered to the ground.

"Now do you see who's swords are heavier?" questioned Zoro. "I hope your satisfied now, stupid octopus! DRAGON…"

Hachi decided to forget the fact that he had lost his swords and he charged at Zoro in a blind rage, shooting his fists out like a machine gun again, "FLAMING OCTOPUS PUNCH!"

"…TWISTER!" finished Zoro as he spun around and slashed the incoming Hachi. **THWAM! **Hachi was launched up into the air and blood came out of the wounds Zoro had made on his chest.

"_How could I lose to only three swords?_" wondered Hachi as he plummeted downward then smashed into the ground unconscious. **WHA-KRASH!**

Zoro's swords carried all his dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman and his sworn oath to never lose again. His ambition was far heavier than a mere six hundred fifty pound blade.

"Hachi?" Arlong called out.

"He couldn't…" Kuroobi muttered. Both he and Arlong had just witnessed a human beating one of their toughest fishmen! How could this have happened?

Zoro couched down and put his swords away, "The rest of you are beyond my notice," he said to Arlong and Kuroobi, "I have to save Luffy!"

"Roronoa Zoro!" Kuroobi exclaimed as he stood over Zoro with his arm raised, "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO HACHI!"

But as Kuroobi brought his arm crashing down, **THWAK! **Sanji came out of nowhere and blocked Kuroobi's arm with his foot. "You sent me flying pretty far back there," Sanji commented.

"There was never a human in the East Blue who could take the full force of my punch and live," said Kuroobi.

"I'll wager a lot of people who could do it," Sanji replied, "especially at a certain restaurant I know."

"How dare you insult me!" Kuroobi snapped.

Zoro's battle with Hachi had finished, and Zoro had come out victorious. Sanji was now preparing to take on Kuroobi, but some distance away from Arlong Park, another battle was starting.

**-x-**

Zoro beat Hachi, but there's still no sign of Ricky. Next chapter it's Sanji versus Kuroobi, Heroism versus Fishman Cruelty.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	37. Chapter 36

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**Heroism versus Fishman Cruelty**

**-x-**

The Going Merry was anchored off the shore from Cocoyashi Village it looked perfectly innocent… except for the blood red water surrounding it. A figure stood on the deck of the ship and surveyed the blood red water. "Pathetic."

**-x-**

At Arlong Park, Zoro's battle with Hachi had concluded, Arlong glanced at Hachi in surprise, then turned his attention to Sanji and Kuroobi, their fight was about to get underway.

"We have to help Luffy," Zoro told Sanji.

"Don't be stupid," said Sanji, "If you go down there in your present condition you'll die."

"Shut up!" Zoro snapped. "He's got to be nearing his limit! We don't have time to wait for your fight!"

"I know," Sanji replied, "I completely understand the situation. That's why you need to shut up." Suddenly Sanji kicked off his shoes, "So now you can't blame me for doing this, right?" asked Sanji before diving into the water.** SPLASH!**

"Haha! Interesting," Kuroobi laughed. "He wants to fight me, a fishman, underwater?"

"That reckless idiot!" Zoro muttered. "That's exactly what these guys want!"

"Shahahaha! Learn this lesson well!" Arlong laughed at Zoro. "You humans are no match for us! What an incredible fool!"

**-x-**

In the water Sanji was swimming down towards the bottom. But then he saw in interesting sight, _"It's a villager."_ Sanji said to himself. Genzo was still next to Luffy trying to cracked the rock his feet were stuck in. Luffy's head was nowhere to be found. He neck was stretched so it was completely out of the water.

"_Come on, breathe!" _said Genzo as he shoved his hands down into Luffy's chest, _"I hope we're not too late!"_

"_Is that Luffy's stretched neck?"_ Sanji wondered as he swam closer.

"_Hurry, before my breath runs out,"_ Genzo said silently. Luffy's head might have been above water, but he was still holding his breath in an attempt to get the pirate to breathe.

**-x-**

At the surface Nojiko was holding Luffy's head above water. She was safely hidden so while she could see what was going on with the battle, none of the mermen could see her.

"I'm sorry I don't have the strength to bring your whole body up," Nojiko basically apologized to herself, Luffy couldn't hear her. "But with this stretchy neck of yours at least you can cough up water and breathe." **GLURG!** Luffy did just that, he coughed up a bunch of water and he slowly started to breathe. "Yes!" Nojiko exclaimed, "Mr. Genzo is doing it!"

**-x-**

Back underwater Genzo was still working on Luffy and Sanji was swimming closer. _"Good, now with his feet stuck in the rock, he can at least breathe. Now I just need to shatter that rock with a kick and leave the rest to that old man."_

"**ARM BLADE SLASH!**" came the voice of Kuroobi as he slammed his huge forearm blade down onto Sanji's shoulder, **KA-WHAM!**

Sanji couldn't help opening his mouth on the impact, "GLURRRP!" Water rushed into Sanji's mouth and he lost some precious air.

"It's that man for Cocoyashi Village," Kuroobi realized when he noticed Genzo.

"_Oh no!"_ Genzo exclaimed in his head when he noticed that he was noticed, _"I've been spotted by a fishman!"_

"Do you really think all of your efforts will do anything?" asked Kuroobi as he swam closer to Genzo. "I'll drown you right now!"

But suddenly something grabbed Kuroobi's leg. The fishman looked over his shoulder and noticed Sanji holding onto him, _"Not if I can help it!"_ Sanji snapped in his head.

"So you really want to fight me underwater?" questioned Kuroobi, who could talk underwater due to being a fishman, "It'll take everything you have just to hold your breathe! Alright, I'll take you on…" Kuroobi swung his head to the side and launched out his braid of hair which wrapped itself around Sanji's waist, **WHAP!** "DUELING HAIR TETHER!"

Kuroobi used his hold on Sanji to pull him closer. But when he got close enough Sanji lashed out his leg and connected with Kuroobi's chest. **BLOOOSH!** But the fishman just brushed it off. "That was weak," said Kuroobi. "Down here your kicks only have half their normal velocity. But with Fishman Karate there is no loss of power in the water, in fact the power of some moves is even multiplied!" Kuroobi yanked Sanji closer to him and lashed out his leg, **THWAK!** "SEA-SPEED STOMACH KICK!"

Sanji doubled over and fought not to lose any air, but Kuroobi quick flipped up above the cooks head, then brought his heel down on Sanji's back, "FLAMING AXE KICK!" **CHONK!** Kuroobi spun around the brought up his leg and drove his foot into Sanji's jaw, "RISING THRUST KICK!" **KRAK! **Sanji floated backwards while Kuroobi brought his arm back, then he shot it forward and drove his palm into Sanji's jaw, "HIGH-RANK PALM BOMB!" **THWOOP!**

**KROOOOM! **Sanji went floating backwards and smashed into the wall of the waterway, then smashed down to the ground, **BOOOM! **A large cloud of underwater dirt rose, clouding him from view. Genzo noticed the force Sanji hit with and realized he was in trouble.

But suddenly Sanji pulled himself up and swam straight up toward the surface, _"I can't breathe anymore! I need air!"_

"Where are you going?" asked Kuroobi as he darted in and swam in front of Sanji, blocking his path.

"_Crap!" _Sanji cursed in his head. _"Let me passed, I need air!"_

"Your ability to take punishment is annoying," said Kuroobi. "That's not normal for a human! Let me explain, this is the result of you trying to be a hero. You can't escape and the only way out of this is death. When I'm done with you, I'll kill the mayor and the rubber man will die along with him. Then I will kill that long nosed boy, Roronoa Zoro, and all those villagers that stood against us. And for her betrayal, Nami won't live peacefully. Don't you understand? Your heroism means nothing! In the end, you can't save anyone!"

"You humans are weak," Kuroobi continued as he reached out and grabbed Sanji. "You can't even survive extreme changes is pressure. If you were to descend rapidly too deeply into the sea you'd probably explode!" Kuroobi grabbed onto Sanji then pointed downward and shot down towards the bottom where the pressure was even greater. "PULVERIZING PRESSURE PLUNGE!"

"_I've gotta change the plan,"_ Sanji said to himself, _"I have to let that village headman take care of Luffy. I won't let him get away with this, he thinks I can't save anyone!"_

Kuroobi shot down to the bottom and blood splurted out of Sanji's mouth and nose, he couldn't take much more of this.

**-x-**

Above water Johnny and Yosaku were wondering what was taking Sanji so long. "Brother Cook still hasn't come up yet," Johnny commented.

"What happened to Sister Nami's sister?" questioned Yosaku, "And that man?"

**-x-**

**PLURP! **Sanji held his hand to his mouth and nose as blood splurted out from under his hands. "How can you still be alive?" Kuroobi wondered as he glared at Sanji. "Alright then, we'll do it again!" Kuroobi kept his hold on Sanji and swam upwards, looking to completely crush Sanji for good.

"_These fishmen,"_ Sanji thought to himself. _"They breathe through their lungs on land, and switch to their gills underwater. So right now he's just a talking fish."_

"We're near the surface now," Kuroobi told Sanji as he stopped swimming upward. "Let's see how much you can take!"

"_Fish die when air is forced through their gills, it should be the same with him!"_ Sanji suddenly realized. Then before Kuroobi could stop him, he reached up and placed his mouth over Kuroobi's gills and breathed into them. **FWOOOOO! **

"AAAAAHHH!" Kuroobi screamed out and lost his hold on Sanji.

Sanji swam free and shot up to the surface and gasped desperately for breath. **SPLASH!** "Huh?" questioned Arlong when he noticed the human cook.

"Cook!" Zoro exclaimed as Sanji panted and fought to regain his breath.

"Don't worry, Luffy's safe," Sanji reported.

"He is?" asked the swordsman.

"Well, half of him," Sanji confessed.

"Half?" repeated Zoro.

"I'll explain later," Sanji told him as he pulled himself up out of the water and got to his feet. Then he turned and shouted into the water, "HEY! COME ON UP HERE YOU LOUSY FISH!" Sanji shouted to Kuroobi, "I'M GOING TO SLICE YOU TO PIECES AND EAT YOU WITH TARTER SAUCE!"

Kuroobi's head broke the surface and he pulled himself up out of the water. "You still don't get it," said Kuroobi, "I am many times stronger than you are. It doesn't matter is we are in or out of water. Now, you've really made me mad. I will use the ultimate move of Fishman Karate to kill you. I sent you flying before with my one hundred brick fist. But my greatest move is the thousand brick fist. The likelihood of your survival is… zero!"

But suddenly Sanji swung his leg around and connected with Kuroobi's neck, "COLLIER!" **THWAK!** Sanji slipped behind Kuroobi and slammed the side of his foot into the back of Kuroobi's shoulder, "EPAULE!" **THOMP! **Kuroobi fell to the ground. "What did you say you'd do to me?" Sanji taunted as Kuroobi fought back up.

Sanji dropped down onto his hands for a handstand, then started spinning around and lashed out his legs in rapid succession, first he connected with Kuroobi's back, "COTELETTE!" **THWAP****! **At the same time, Sanji drove his other leg into Kuroobi's lower back, "SELLE!" **THWAK!** Sanji continued to spin on his hands and swung his leg back up and connected with Kuroobi's chest, "POITRINE!" **THOMP! **Everyone watching stared in marvel as Sanji kept going, and hit Kuroobi in the side of the leg, "GIGOT!" **THWHAM!**

Kuroobi dropped down to one knee and panted now that Sanji had finally let up his attack, "Why you!" Kuroobi snapped. "YOU… YOU… HUMAN! THE ULTIMATE PUNCH… ONE THOUSAND BRICK FIST!"

Kuroobi charged forward and went to punch Sanji but Sanji lashed his leg out and connected hard with Kuroobi's chest over and over again, "MOUTON SHOOT!" **BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BAM! **Kuroobi went flying, he already out cold and he hadn't landed yet. "No dessert for you," commented Sanji, he had won.

**-x-**

**It's All Over**

**-x-**

**KA-BLOOSH! **Kuroobi smashed into the ground and didn't get up, Sanji had knocked him out cold.

Arlong glanced around him. The cook had just sent Kuroobi crashing through the wall beside him, and Roronoa Zoro had beaten Hachi. Two of his best men were down, and the third one was still out chasing that long nosed brat. Everyone else was either out trying to kill one-eye, or had been knocked out when the rubber human used his strength to take out Mohmoo. This wasn't going well, it appeared that he would have to take matters into his own hands.

"Kuroobi… Hachi…" Arlong called out to his men, but he received no answer, both of them were out cold. Arlong struggled to keep his rage in control. They were only pesky humans, there was no need to destroy Arlong Park over them… or was there?

"Looks like your guys lost," Sanji pointed out as he and Zoro stood in front of Arlong, "We're the winners of this game." In response Arlong slowly got up out of his throne and faced the two meddling humans.

"YOU!" Arlong snarled as he glared at the Cook and the Swordsman, "HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO MY VALUABLE OFFICERS! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!"

"You said Luffy's half okay, what did you mean?" Zoro asked Sanji.

"It means he's not dead yet," Sanji explained, "I'll have to go back down to the ocean floor. But it looks like this guy isn't about to let me."

**-x-**

In her hiding place, Nojiko was still holding Luffy's head and had watched the whole battle take place. "Those guys are incredible!" Nojiko commented, "They beat two of Arlong's best men!"

Suddenly Genzo's head broke the surface and the village headman pulled himself out of the water. "That's it…" Genzo panted, "I can't… hold my breath any longer…"

"Take a break Mr. Genzo," said Nojiko, "I'll go down now. He's coughing up water, we're so close!"

"How's it going over there?" Genzo asked, wondering how the battle was going, having been underwater for most of it.

"No one's dead yet," Nojiko replied, "In fact, I can hardly believe it. But I'm feeling a rising sense of hope about this battle!" Indeed, so far the humans were way ahead, Luffy had taken out Mohmoo, Zoro had beaten Hachi, and Sanji KO-ed Kuroobi. Arlong was the only conscious fishman left in Arlong Park. The only problems they were facing were Zoro's wounds and Luffy being stuck in the water, but at the moment Genzo and Nojiko were working to rectify that problem.

**-x-**

Usopp was on the ground lying in a pool of blood. Chew stood over him, pleased with himself. "**Smek**, you gave a good chase," Chew admitted. "And you were pretty fast for a human. But then you died from just one shot from my water cannon. How disappointing."

Chew turned and started heading off, "I guess I'll head back," Chew resolved, "My comrades should be finished by now too."

Usopp watched Chew walked off from his spot on the ground. _"Success,"_ Usopp said to himself. _"I'm saved. Good thing I made that Ketchup Star just for this kind of situation." _What Chew didn't know, was that the blood Usopp was lying in wasn't blood, it was a puddle of ketchup. _"That guy thinks he hit me with his Water Cannon. Ahahaha, just keep walking."_

Usopp thought back to the overturned houses in Gosa Village. _"What a terrifying species those guys are," _Usopp thought. _"They can flip an entire village of houses. I feel sorry for Nami, I wish I could do more, but if it means getting killed I'll pass."_

"_I'm covered in ketchup blood, too,"_ Usopp observed as he sat up, _"I wish I had a few more battle scars. That's it! I'll smear dirt all over myself to make it look like a fought a real battle."_ Usopp reached down and dusted himself with a coat of dirt. _"What should I say when I get back?" _

"Umm… sorry I lost," Usopp said to himself.

"_We're Nakama, aren't we?"_ asked Luffy in Usopp's mind. _He _was willing to face the fishmen on behalf of Nami.

"Umm… I almost had him, but he got away. No… that doesn't sound believable. What would Ricky say?"

"_Usopp, Nami saved your life, are you gonna repay her by letting her spend the rest of her life working for a horrible fishman like Arlong?"_

"Don't cry Nami…" said Usopp, knowing that Nami would be upset if he lost.

"_I prefer death to defeat!"_ Usopp remembered Zoro telling Mihawk. _He_ was willing to fight the fishmen for Nami, on top of that, he was still injured.

"Umm… well, we all put up a good fight."

"_But hey, compared to a bunch of woman-hating bastard fish, he's not so bad,"_ Sanji said regarding Luffy_. He_ was wiling to fight for Nami, and he had only just joined the crew.

"Uhhh…" Usopp couldn't think of any more excuses.

"_It's business, I had no choice,"_ Nami told Usopp when she had stabbed herself to make it look like she had killed him. _She_ had been fighting Arlong for the last eight years, and had risked getting in trouble by saving Usopp's life.

"Umm… my wounds aren't that bad," Usopp commented as he glanced down at himself.

"_Remember those faces," _said Johnny and Yosaku as the Straw Hats marched to Arlong Park. _"They've come to change the future. Not just for the East Blue, but the world."_ The two bounty hunters looked like they had fought the fishmen and lost, now they were counting on the Straw Hats to pull through and save the world from Arlong's tyranny. They believed in them.

"_Can you understand what a painful choice this was for her?"_ Nojiko asked Usopp regarding Nami. Nami fought Arlong for eight years by surviving, even after the bastard shot her mother in front of her. Now _he_, Usopp, was too afraid to get his hands dirty and fight a stupid fishman?

"_LET'S FIGHT!"_ Genzo shouted and all the people of Cocoyashi Village, they were going to go off and probably get killed by the fishmen. All the other's were willing to fight, they were risking their lives.

"Umm… you should've seen me fight."

"_THIS IS PATHETIC!" _Usopp realized. Everyone else was willing to risk injury and their lives to fight he fishmen, and here he was covered in ketchup wasn't a Brave Warrior of the Sea, he was a coward. But not anymore… that was gonna change right now.

Usopp took a deep breath then stood up and turned to face Chew. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, TRUMPET LIPS!" Usopp yelled.

Chew looked over his shoulder, "You're alive? **Smek,**" Chew remarked in slight surprise.

"_The moment I decided to become a real pirate I gave up my life of peace and security,"_ Usopp said in his mind, he needed to take a stand. "You think your wimpy Water Cannon can kill me!" Usopp demanded, as Chew rushed at him.

"_Luffy and those guys live every day of their lives like there's no tomorrow. That's why they laugh so heartily. That's the reason I set out to sea. I wanted to be like them. If I don't fight with everything I've got then I'm not worthy to sail in the same ship as those guys. I could never laugh with them again!"_ Usopp drew his slingshot and loaded it, then aimed it at Chew.

"FIRE STAR!" Usopp shouted as he fired. **FWOOOSH!**

"DEATHBLOW!" Chew yelled.

Chew charged through the fire that Usopp had launched at him and connected with a hard punch to Usopp's face. **KA-POW! **Usopp went flying while Chew rolled forward and stood back up. There was blood on Chew's webbed knuckles.

"You should've kept playing dead," Chew commented. "Your brain must be as weak as your body. **Smek**_._"

"It's all over," Usopp mumbled to himself.

"That's right, it's all over for you," Chew replied as he started stomping on Usopp. **WOMP! WOMP! THWAK!**

"It's all over," Usopp repeated as he reached up and fished into his pouch.

"**Smek,**" was the only thing Chew said as he continued stomping on Usopp. **THWAK! THWAK!**

"USOPP HAMMER!" Usopp screamed as he threw his hammer up at Chew and hit him in the face. **WHACK!**

"Oooff," Chew grunted as he staggered backwards. Usopp shot back up to his feet and pulled out a rubber band, then stretched it backwards.

"USOPP RUBBER BAND!" he shouted. Chew flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for the attack to come, but it never did. When he opened his eyes again, Usopp was gone.

"What!" Chew exclaimed, "That fool tricked me! He ran away! THE LITTLE COWARD!" Suddenly a bottle of grog came flying out of nowhere. **WHAP!** Choo reached out and caught it without much fuss. "Booze?"

**"LEAD STAR!"** came Usopp's voice as a lead projectile smashed into the bottle, **BLOOOSH! **Booze splashed all over Chew and drenched him.

"Grrr," Chew growled, "I'm tired of this puny human's tricks." Chew wadded into a puddle by the side of the road, "No matter where you are, I'll blast you to pieces with this water." Then he bent over and sucked up all the water until he inflated like a water balloon.

"_This fishman can say whatever he wants,"_ Usopp said to himself in the trees, _"But whatever happens, I will not run from this fight! If I lose, I die! I'm a pirate now!"_

"WATER TYPHOON!" Chew shouted as he blasted a HUGE amount of water at the trees. **KA-BLOOOOSH!**

Usopp screamed as what looked like a tidal wave of water came rushing at him. But at the last second it veered to the side and crashed into the trees next to him, breaking them all. "WOW! WHAT POWER!" Usopp exclaimed as he peeked around the tree he was behind and spotted the damage Chew had done with his blast.

"Why do I have to fight this idiot?" Chew asked himself when he saw Usopp peeking out from behind the tree. "He's so obvious. I'LL TURN HIM INTO SWISSCHEESE! HUNDRED-SHOT WATER GUN!" Chew shot out a barrage of water blasts with the speed of a machine gun. **POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM! **Usopp quickly ducked behind the tree to dodge it and felt the blasts whizzing passed him on both sides and hitting the tree. **THUD! THUD! THUD!**

"Darn it," Usopp cursed to himself, "You'll see Usopp's pirates, Kaya, I went to sea to become a pirate! I'm going to fight, and someday I'll be a Brave Warrior of the Sea! THE DAYS OF PRETEND PIRATING ARE OVER!"

The top of the tree that Usopp was hiding behind broke off, and Chew appeared behind him. "What did you say was over?" asked Chew.

"THIS FIGHT!" Usopp exclaimed. "DON'T YOU KNOW BOOZE BURNS!" He quickly loaded his slingshot and fired, "SURE-KILL FIRE STAR!" **FWOOOOM! **The flames impacted with Chew and caused the booze he was drenched in to combust, the fishman burst into flames.

"UGGGHHHH!" Chew screamed as he felt himself burning up.

**-x-**

Usopp's fight is almost over, but next chapter someone is going to die.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	38. Chapter 37

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** This chapter is going to contain character death. It's not anything overly gruesome that would require me to change the rating, I just felt it necessary to give everyone a heads up. I'll answer any questions that you'll undoubtedly have to the best of my abilities as long as they're submitted in a signed review that I can reply to. Everything that happens in this chapter has been planned out since the very beginning of the story, this chapter was not thrown in on a whim.

**Die:**

**-x-**

Nami was sitting outside of Bellemere's house. Luffy's hat was still on her head and Ricky's eye-patch was now around her neck. She had just finished bandaging up her arm after stabbing it repeatedly in an attempt to get Arlong's tattoo off of her.

"_I'm done crying,"_ Nami said to herself, _"I'm going to leave this sadness behind. My mind is made up, I have to go and join the fight!"_ Nami got up and grabbed her bow-staff then ran off towards Arlong Park.

**-x-**

"AAAAHHH! WATER! WATER!" Chew screamed as the grog he was covered in combusted and started burning him alive. Chew sprinted out of the trees and bolted for the puddles along the side of the road.

Usopp pulled out his hammer and loaded it into his slingshot, "USOPP HAMMER!" Usopp fired the hammer at Chew and it connected with the back of Chew's head, **SHOOOM!** The fishman fell forward and splashed into the puddle, **SPLASH! **The flames went out and a cloud of steam rose up from the water.

"USOPP…" Usopp started to say but suddenly he went flying to the side and tumbled down the road. He looked up in time to see a figure walk out from the trees that he had been standing in earlier. It was a teenage boy with red hair that was standing up straight in spikes, his face bared a passing resemblance to a fox, he was wearing a pair of wet black pants, black steel-soled boots, and a sleeveless black shirt that had the right shoulder torn off. A large bloody bite mark was visible on the figure's right shoulder from which blood was dripping down and coating his right arm, finally a curved sword was in a red and black sheath on his waist. IT WAS RICKY!

"Ricky! You're alive!" Usopp exclaimed. Ricky's right arm was hanging limply at his side, probably due to the bloody wound on his shoulder but he seemed okay. But then Usopp noticed something else. The one-eyed pirate's eye patch was gone. Ricky had TWO eyes. The left one was the normal hazel that he always saw but the other was anything but. It was bright red and was giving off a creepy red glow.

"YOU!" Chew shouted as he struggled up and saw Ricky standing in front of him. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Heh-heh-heh," Ricky _laughed_. "Well it wouldn't be the first time someone made that mistake." Ricky reached to his side with his good arm and drew _Akaikyuuketsuki_. "By the way, the fishmen you sent after me are all dead, all fifteen of them. They didn't even put up a decent fight." Ricky's voice was cold and laced with malice, it sent shivers up Usopp's spine.

"Y-you killed my fishmen brothers!" Chew exclaimed.

"Yeah, just like I'm going to kill you," Ricky replied as then threw his curved sword at Chew. The sword spun around like a red buzzsaw and went right at Chew. **FWUPFWUPFWUP!**

Chew ducked down and the saw whizzed over his head, **SWOOOOSH! **"Ha, you missed!" Chew taunted.

"Heh-heh, you wish," Ricky chuckled, he raised his good arm up in the air and yanked it backwards, "RED EYE… BOOMERANG!" Chew turned around and the red blade flew forward and sliced into his stomach. **CHA-CHUNK! **The blood red blade went right through him and came out through his back. **Splish!** Chew collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut and landed unmoving in the puddle which was slowly turning red from all of his blood. Chew was dead.**  
**

Ricky walked into the blood red puddle and ripped his red sword free of Chew's body, he watched with a cruel smile as the fishman's blood was absorbed into the blood red blade. "You never stood a chance, you miserable kiss-ass."

Usopp staggered up to his feet and timidly approached Ricky, "R-Ricky... what's going on?" Usopp asked, scared by his Nakama's change in demeanor. "Why'd you k-kill him? I didn't like him much, but I wasn't going to m-murder him!"

Ricky sheathed his sword and then turned around, Usopp instantly realized that something was VERY wrong. Ricky raised his arm and clenched his hand slightly. "GACK!" Usopp choked when he suddenly felt as if a hand was grabbing his throat and choking him. Usopp floated up off of the ground as he fought to breathe. He was terrified. Ricky walked forward until he was facing Usopp, the marksman was dangling up above the ground and found himself at eye-level with Ricky.

Usopp was shaking all over as he stared into Ricky's eyes. The normal hazel eye was completely void of any emotion. The other eye, the right eye, had four marks around it that were part of an 'X' shaped scar. The eye itself was blood red, the pupil was just a shade darker."

_"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" _a silent voice shouted. Usopp suddenly saw a spark of life in Ricky's hazel eye, there was a determined fire in it. _"I thought we agreed that you were going to beat Arlong first. What're you doing wasting your time with him? Are you scared?"_

**_"I'M NOT SCARED OF ANYONE!" _**a demonic voice shouted in Ricky's mind. Ricky's arm lurched to the side and Usopp went flying, **THUD! **Usopp hit the ground and rolled over onto his stomach where he laid gasping for breath. **_"I'll kill the fish first. THEN, I'll take care of the rest of the island."_**

_"Big talk. But I'll believe it when I see it."_

Ricky walked back to the puddle and picked up Chew's corpse, Usopp sat up just as Ricky turned to face him.

"Usopp," Ricky's voice suddenly spoke to him. It was different, there was no malice, no hint of cruelty. It was the normal soft, calm voice he was used to. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way." With that, Ricky walked off toward Arlong Park carrying Chew's body along with him.

Usopp was left wondering, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? _"Something's not right here,"_ Usopp realized, _"I can't just stay here where it's safe, I'VE GOTTA WARN THE OTHERS!"_

**-x-**

Sanji and Zoro stood across from Arlong. Zoro was still sporting his wounds from Mihawk, and his fight with Hachi hadn't helped them. Sanji had just finished fighting Kuroobi… underwater, and was nowhere near full strength. Neither of them were sure what Arlong was really capable of, but to be safe they got in a fighting stance as the fishman approached them.

Zoro and Sanji got ready for anything the fishman might try, but as an attack Arlong only gathered up a bit of water and splashed it at Zoro and Sanji. That was perhaps the one thing that the swordsman and the cook weren't expecting, because when the water him them they both spat up blood and crashed to the ground.

"Was it all a dream?" Johnny wondered, "What did that nasty shark do to them?"

"It looked like he just splashed them with water," Yosaku commented, "But then they coughed up blood and collapsed."

**-x-**

A little while away, Genzo was holding Luffy's head above water, _"Please breathe!"_

Underwater, Nojiko had taken over where Genzo had left off and was pumping the rubber pirate's chest in order to get his lungs working. _"He's moving!"_ Nojiko noticed, "_we're almost there!"_

**-x-**

"Brother Cook, please stand up," Yosaku pleaded.

"What happened to Brother Luffy?" Johnny wondered, "He didn't die did he?"

Sanji staggered up to his feet and stood up to face Arlong again, he couldn't let a fish beat him.

**-x-**

"_PLEASE BREATHE!" _Nojiko pleaded as she continued pumping Luffy's chest.

**-x-**

"I can destroy weaklings like you without even touching them," Arlong bragged with a small amount of water cupped in his webbed hand, "A handful of water is all it takes. That's the difference in strength between fishmen and humans."

"Don't underestimate us!" Sanji snapped as he swung his leg at Arlong, "POITRINE SHOOT!" But Arlong got his knee up then easily blocked Sanji's kick, **SWOOOSH! **Arlong threw the water at Sanji with so much forced that when it struck the cook he went flying,** FWUP!**** BA-BA-BAM! **Sanji went crashing down to the ground with blood dripping down his face.

"_This guy is no joke,"_ Sanji commented to himself. _"He makes it look easy. All he did was throw water and it felt like a shotgun blast! This must be the power of a shark fishman. He's a level all of his own. I've never faced anyone like this before!"_

"Go ahead and die," Arlong told Sanji. "Your lives are worthless. No one can beat me!"

But suddenly loud shout rang out, "**ARLONG!**" Nami screamed as she pushed through the crowd of people and entered Arlong Park, she was still wearing Luffy's hat on her head and Ricky's eye patch around her neck.

"Nami?" said Arlong and Sanji at the same time.

"I was just about to tear these no account pirates to bits," Arlong commented, "what brings you here?"

"I'VE COME TO KILL YOU!" Nami announced.

"TO KILL ME?" Arlong repeated as he burst out laughing. "Shahahahaha! In the past eight years how many times did you try to kill me? Assassins, poisons, ambushes, and the end result? I'm still here! You of all people should know, that no mere human can kill me! Now listen, I'm not going to kill you, but I won't let you go. You're going to be my navigator forever."

Nami stared at Arlong with an unreadable expression on her face as he continued, "But I'm a reasonable fishman, I would prefer if you would join us out of your own free will. I swore an oath with One Eye that I wouldn't kill anyone from your village, but I didn't say anything about the other villages on this island. If you agree to rejoin my crew and be my navigator again, I'll spare everyone but these two," said Arlong as he motioned to Sanji and Zoro with his foot. "They've caused me enough trouble already. So what's it going to be? Rejoin my crew and save the people of the island? Or stick with these weaklings and try to fight me. But judging from the way they look, that would be a grave mistake. Well Nami? Are you my ship mate… or theirs?"

Nami stared at Arlong, her mind was working frantically, _"If I say I'm their Nakama everyone may get killed. But if I say I'm Arlong's everyone will be spared. I have to decide who lives or dies."_

"_OKAY!" Luffy shouted after putting his treasured hat on Nami's head._

The rubber pirate was in the middle of drowning now because he was trying to help her. All the Straw Hats were putting their lives on the line to free her village, they had nothing to do with this but they were fighting anyway.

"_All of us are willing to go out and risk our lives to take down Arlong. Because you're Nakama. You're not just a navigator, not when our crew is concerned," Ricky explained._

"That's dirty, making Nami have to decide," a villager complained.

"_I have to believe in them,"_ Nami realized as she held the eye patch that was around her neck. "I'm sorry everyone," Nami said as she turned to the villagers behind her, "FIGHT AND DIE WITH ME!"

"HOORAY!" the villagers cheered.

"So you all want to die, eh?" questioned Arlong.

But underwater something was happening, someone suddenly grabbed Nojiko's arm and a spray of water erupted up into the air, looking just like a fountain. **PLOOOOSH!**

"What?" Arlong exclaimed.

"He's breathing," Sanji realized, "now all that's left is to free his legs."

"Oh, that's what that sound was," Zoro commented.

"Could it be?" Yosaku wondered.

"Brother Luffy?" Johnny suggested.

**-x-**

"Hey, wake up!" Genzo shouted down at Luffy.

Luffy responded by letting out a loud yell that was heard by everyone in and nearby Arlong Park.

**-x-**

Zoro fought his way up off of the ground then gave Nami a thumbs down sign. "Zoro?" said Nami.

"Thirty seconds," Zoro told Sanji. "I won't last more than that."

"That's plenty," Sanji replied as he turned and dove into the water. **SPLASH!**

"Arlong Park has no fountains over there," Arlong finally realized, "Could it be that rubber brat?"

"Don't worry about that you ugly bottom feeder," Zoro warned him as he faced Arlong with his three swords poised for an attack. "Your problem stands in front of you."

"I warned you about calling me names," said Arlong. "Now you're a dead man!"

**KA-BOOOM!** A loud explosion rang out and everyone's attention was suddenly drawn to a part of the wall that exploded inward. "What was that?" wondered one of the villagers.

Chew came flying through the wall and landed in between Arlong and Zoro. Arlong glanced down at Chew and it didn't take him too long to realize that Chew was dead. "WHO DID THIS?" Arlong demanded.

"**I take it you didn't like my present?**" came a cold voice. Everyone turned their attention back on the wall the smoke cleared and they saw Ricky standing there with a creepy looking grin on his face. He was dressed in black and blood from his injured right shoulder was dripping down his arm, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Brother Ricky!" Yosaku exclaimed.

"Gotta admit," Johnny commented, "Brother Ricky sure knows how to make an entrance."

"Ricky?" Zoro muttered, "'bout time he showed up. You get lost?"

"Ricky!" Nami cheered, a huge smile appeared on her face. "You're alive!"

"YOU!" Arlong shouted. "You killed Chew?"

"Yup," Ricky answered, he sounded proud of himself. "Him and all the other fishmen that came after me. They were weak."

"_YOU'RE_ THE PATHETIC HUMAN!" Arlong snarled. "I'M A MIGHTY FISHMAN!_ YOU'RE_ WEAK!"

"Heh-heh-heh," Ricky laughed. "Please, I could kill you like it was nothing, but if I did that you wouldn't learn anything." Ricky glanced down at his limp right arm which was covered in blood from the bite wound on his shoulder. "Now, if _Jinbei_ was here, maybe I'd be worried. But you? I can beat you with one arm."

"You had the _AUDACITY_ to kill my fishmen and call them pathetic, then you blew a hole in my wall, and you insulted me by claiming you could kill me WITH ONE ARM! Stealing my treasure was one thing, but this… IS INEXCUSABLE! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

"That's what I was hoping for," Ricky replied.

"**Zoro!"** came Usopp's voice. "Get out of the way!" Usopp stared through the hole Ricky had blown in the wall at the red-haired pirate. He was acting strange and had almost choked him to death, then he released him and seemed normal again for a second. Usopp didn't know what was going on, but he didn't want Zoro to get in the way.

"Huh?" questioned Zoro. **WHAM! **Suddenly Arlong swung his arm around and connected with the side of Zoro's head. The swordsman went flying and crashed to the ground in front of Nami and the villagers. Arlong glared at Ricky as he walked over.

**-x-**

Underwater, oblivious to what was going on, Sanji was still swimming towards Luffy. _"I'm counting on you,"_ Sanji said in his head, _"you're our last hope."_

**-x-**

Off to the side, something else was happening, Hachi was fighting back up to his feet. "You think I'd let you humans live?" questioned Hachi as he watching Ricky make his way over to Arlong. Things were definitely heating up.

**-x-**

**Trade Off:**

**-x-**

Underwater Sanji was swimming towards Luffy, completely ignorant of Ricky's arrival. _"If I can just shatter the rock around Luffy's legs then he can swing into battle," _Sanji said to himself, _"he's the only one left with any hope of beating Arlong._"

**-x-**

But above water someone was about to attempt it at least. "Is Brother Ricky going to fight Arlong?" Johnny wondered.

"It looks like it," Yosaku commented. The two Bounty Hunters glanced at each other then broke out in cheers, "GO BROTHER RICKY!"

"The only way that rubber brat can still be alive is if someone is helping him," said Arlong. "People with the devil fruit powers lose them underwater."

"Hey, fish," Ricky called out. "You're problem is in front of you. Come on, I killed your stupid little lackey, fight me or I'll kill the squid too."

**-x-**

Meanwhile Nojiko was still pumping Luffy's chest, and Genzo was still holding Luffy's head above water. At least now he was breathing.

**-x-**

"You're right," Arlong admitted, as he glared at Ricky. "I'll kill you first, and then I'll deal with that rubber brat once he gets here. Prepare to die human, you've gotten in my way for the last time!"

"Heh-heh-heh! That's right!" Ricky agreed with a laugh. "Because when this is over, you'll be dead."

"What's wrong with him?" Nami asked out loud, as she stared at Ricky. He looked and was acting different. Ricky short red hair which usually laid flat on his head was now standing up like short red spikes. His hazel eye which would usually show a hint of emotion, even if it was boredom, was completely blank. His voice even sounded different. Ricky's voice was normally calm and relaxed, just like he was. Now, it sounded a lot rougher, it sounded cruel and cocky. The smile Nami had been sporting when she realized Ricky was alive was gone. Something was wrong.

Ricky shot his good arm out in front of him, "RED EYE… PUNCH!" Ricky yelled. **WOOOSH!** Without Ricky even touching him Arlong went flying backwards as if he had been shot by a cannon and crashed down to the ground. **THUD!**

Arlong shot back up and threw a hand-full of water at Ricky. Ricky raised his arm out in front of him and the water suddenly stopped and floated in front of him. Ricky shot his arm out and the water flew back at Arlong and splashed against his chest, **SPLAK!** Arlong took a step back mostly out of surprise.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?" Arlong demanded. _"That eye... he couldn't be..."_

"RICKY, HEADS UP!" Usopp suddenly shouted from the hole Ricky had made in the wall. He pulled out a rubber band, "USOPP RUBBER BAND!"

"Look the octopus guy is getting up," Johnny pointed out. "What's he gonna do?"

Hachi got to his feet and flinched, "I thought he was going to hit me with that rubber band," Hachi muttered.

"What?" the villagers exclaimed.

"What?" said Usopp. "Um… look I scared him!"

"But you were aiming at Arlong," Nami pointed out.

"Octopus… " Zoro muttered as he sat up and stared at his defeated opponent.

"I won't let your plan succeed Roronoa Zoro!" Hachi yelled as he ran for the inlet.

"Heh-heh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ricky warned Hachi as he ran passed him.

Ricky made no effort to stop the octopus fishman as he dove into the water, with a shout of, "I'll kill that shipmate of yours that's in the ocean!" **SPLASH!**

Ricky jumped up into the air and shot out both of his legs at the same time, "RED EYE… KICK!" **WOOOSH! **Again, Ricky didn't even make contact, but Arlong doubled over and was sent flying as if he had just been hit with a high power kick.

Arlong pulled himself up and glared at Ricky. "I see, so you're not a normal human after all," Arlong realized, "You're 'the Demon' Red Eye."

"Who?" asked Nami and Usopp at the same time.

**-x-**

"_Leave the rest to me!"_ Sanji attempted to mime out as he approached Nojiko and Luffy's trapped body.

Nojiko didn't answer, behind Sanji saw something coming towards them, "_A fishman,"_ Nojiko realized.

"_Get out of the way, I can shatter that rock," _Sanji hadn't seen Hachi coming behind him, so he gestured to Nojiko and told her to move out of the way went up to the rock that Luffy's feet were trapped in.

"Die… die…" Hachi muttered as he swam closer.

"_One good kick should do it,"_ Sanji thought to himself as he landed on top of the rock. But he still hadn't noticed Hachi. Nojiko took matters into her own hands and swam around behind Sanji and stood in between him and Hachi.

"FLAMING OCTOPUS PUNCH!" Hachi shouted as he shot his six arms out over and over again like a machine gun.

"_Octopus!"_ Sanji exclaimed as he glanced over his shoulder and finally noticed Hachi. "WATCH OUT!" Sanji tried to shout, but it came out sounding something like "GLUB!"

Nojiko closed her eyes as Hachi raced towards her.

**-x-**

"NO! Not him!" Johnny shrieked. "He's supposed to be dead! He really _is_ a demon!"

"Demon?" Usopp repeated as he walked over and joined the others so he could be a part of the conversation.

Nami stared at Ricky and shook her head, "I don't understand…"

"Brother Ricky is Red Eye, a monster from the Grand Line," Yosaku explained. "He has these terrifying powers and used them to kill hundreds of people. The World Government is offering one hundred million berries for his head!"

"A HUNDRED MILLION?" Nami shouted in surprise, that was an odd number.

"Heh, Ricky, a demon?" Zoro chuckled. "Usually I'm the one being called that."

"Don't joke about something like that!" Yosaku shouted.

"No... Ricky's not like that," Nami shook her head and refused to believe it.

"He's not the pirate you knew!" Johnny insisted. "The marines have sent countless squadrons after him, but none have come back! They don't even have a picture for his wanted poster because he always kills the photographer!"

"Red Eye or not," Arlong growled, "I'm still going to kill you! Countless humans may have fallen before you, but no fishman has ever tried. I'll hand your dead body over to the marines and get the reward! You can't beat me. YOU'RE DEAD! SHARK ON DARTS!" Arlong launched at Rick like a torpedo. When Arlong got close Rick flipped up into the air jumped over Arlong. **TMP!** Rick landed on his feet while Arlong had to roll to a stop.

"Heh-heh-heh, too slow, fishy," Rick taunted from behind Arlong. "Oh, and you know, staying still would have been a better idea."

"I'm not about to lose to a human!" Arlong snarled.

"Actually… I wasn't talking about you. I meant the squid," Rick corrected him. "Five… four…."

"Huh?" questioned Arlong.

"Three… two… one…"

**-x-**

Underwater Hachi was just about to hit Nojiko but the wound Zoro had made on his chest came open. **BLOOOSH! **Hachi screamed out in pain and just about passed out. _"That was close…" _commented Sanji as he used his leg and smashed the rock around Luffy's feet. **KA-BAM!** _"You got us into this mess in the first place, now get us out of it!"_

**-x-**

"You okay kid," asked Genzo.

"Oh yeah," Luffy replied as his neck retracted, the force of his neck snapping back into its normal shape launched Luffy up into the air. "I'M BACK!"

"Brother Luffy!" Johnny and Yosaku exclaimed.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted, while Usopp and the villagers all looked on overjoyed.

"Phew," Genzo sighed as he laid down on the ground.

"It's that rubber brat!" Arlong growled.

"It's about time," Zoro grumbled.

Below him Luffy saw Ricky standing across from Arlong, "RICKY!" Luffy shouted as he stretched his arms down and grabbed his shoulders, Ricky didn't even wince when Luffy grabbed his injured right shoulder, "LET'S TRADE PLACES!"

"How 'bout not…" Rick countered as he suddenly grabbed Luffy's wrist with his good hand, then swung around and slammed Luffy down to the ground in front of him. **CRASH!** All the spectators, including Arlong, looked on in different degrees of shock as Luffy plowed into the ground.

"Oww!" Luffy complained as he staggered back up to his feet. "Ricky! What'd you do that for?"

"This fight is mine, Straw Hat," Rick snapped.

"What're you talking about?" asked Luffy, as he walked over to Rick and completely ignored Arlong for the time being. "And what's with that eye?"

"I meant what I said," Rick explained. "This fight is mine. If you value your life you'll stay out of it."

"But I was going to fight him!" Luffy exclaimed.

"_Let me handle this, you'll have to kill him before you get through to him."_

"_**Fine brat. But be quick about it."**_

A spark of life appeared in Ricky's hazel eye, the red eye stopped glowing, and Ricky's red hair fell flat on his head and laid there as it normally did. "Luffy, I swore on my blood I'd get Nami back," Ricky reminded him. "Don't make me go back on it."

"R-Ricky?" Nami stammered, _this_ was the pirate she remembered. _This_ was the pirate who had fought a giant lion to avenge a dog. _This _was the intelligent and honorable treasure hunter that she knew. _This _was her Ricky. Not that other—wait, did she just call him '_her_ Ricky'?

"But he threw me in the water!" Luffy protested. "I'm gonna kick his ass."

"I plan on doing the same thing," Ricky replied. "But I'll play you for it, if you want."

"Okay, that's fair," Luffy agreed as he held out his hand. "Winner gets to fight the fish-guy."

"If you humans are d—" Arlong started but was cut off.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Ricky and Luffy yelled at the same time.

"Ready?" Ricky offered as he held out his good hand.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Luffy inquired as he stared at Ricky's blood covered right arm.

"The fish bit me," Ricky answered. "One… two… three… SHOOT!" Everyone watching, with the exception of Arlong, face-faulted at the way the two pirates were deciding who was going to fight Arlong. Arlong himself sweat-dropped as Ricky's paper covered Luffy's rock. "This fight is mine, get out of the way," Ricky requested.

"Okay," Luffy relented. "If you think you can take him."

"**Correction, Straw Hat,"** said Ricky as his voice turned cold and his hair stood up again. The hint of pain and any signs of emotion that had just been Ricky's hazel eye instantly disappeared, leaving it blank while his red eye started glowing again. "I _know_ I can beat him. In fact, I'm going to _kill_ him." Rick turned and glared at Arlong. "When I'm done, I'll have killed seventeen fishmen."

"YOU KILLED SIXTEEN OF MY FISHMAN BROTHERS?" Arlong hollered. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

**-x-**

Due to the outcome of the rock-paper-scissors game, Ricky… or 'the Demon' Red Eye, will be fighting Arlong. NOT LUFFY. I know some of you are probably going to be unhappy about Ricky stealing Luffy's fight, but ever since I came up with the idea for this story, this was where the REAL Ricky was going to first appear.

Ricky's red eye is a cursed treasure that he found during his time in the Grand Line. It's sentient and talks to him in bold italics and gives him telekinetic abilities, but Ricky doesn't have control over it Like I said in the beginning authors note, if you have any questions, send them to me in a signed review and I'll reply and answer them as best as I can without giving too much away.

Next chapter it's 'Saw Tooth' Arlong versus 'the Demon' Red Eye, Monster versus Demon.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	39. Chapter 38

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**A/N:** I proudly present the complete fight between Red Eye and Arlong. All the action packed into a single chapter.

**Monster versus Demon:**

**-x-**

Luffy walked over to the other spectators then sat down in front of them and waited for the fight to start. His brother and first mate had turned out to be the notorious murderer from the Grand Line, 'the Demon' Red Eye and he was now facing off with 'Saw Tooth' Arlong.

"Heh-heh-heh, at least that's out of the way," Rick laughed. "I can't wait."

"Can't wait for what?" Arlong challenged.

"To see the look on your face right before I kill you," Rick explained. "When this is over, I'll be standing over you and you will be begging me for mercy. Heh-heh-heh… and being the heartless killer that I am… I WON'T BE ABLE TO GRANT IT!"

"Even if it were possible for a human to defeat me, you don't stand a chance," Arlong growled.

"Funny," Red Eye replied, "that's what the fishmen you sent after me were thinking before I killed them. Let's see if you fair any better than them."

"So what's with Ricky's eye? Why's it all red and stuff? Did he get water in it?" asked Luffy as he stared at the pirate and the fishman in front of him.

"Johnny and Yosaku were actually just explaining that," Zoro replied.

"Say your prayers, human!" Arlong snarled as he charged at Rick.

Rick stood still and cocked his head to the side, "Prayers?" he repeated, "Do I look like I'm gonna regret gutting you?"

"DIE!" Arlong yelled as he swung his webbed fist at Rick's head.

**SWOOOSH! **But Rick ducked it then lunged forward and swung his good arm at Arlong's stomach, "RED EYE… PUNCH!" Without even making contact Arlong went flying backwards, but this time Arlong managed to stop himself and didn't slam into a wall.

"How'd he do that?" asked Luffy. "He didn't even touch him and that fish guy went flying!"

"Those are the terrifying powers that Red Eye has at his disposal," Johnny tried to explain.

"I'm not talking about that Red Eye guy," said Luffy. "I'm talking about Ricky. Didn't you see him send the fish-guy flying? How'd he do that?"

"Brother Luffy… Brother Ricky _is_ Red Eye," Yosaku explained.

"No he isn't!" Nami argued. Ricky was calm, relaxed, honorable, and cared about other people. Not some creepy, blood-thirsty demon that killed everyone he came across.

"Then how did he do it?" pressed Luffy, who still wasn't getting the picture.

"Brother Luffy, your First Mate is 'the Demon' Red Eye," Yosaku explained. "His red eye is supposed to give him strange powers. He's killed countless pirates, bounty hunters, and marines. Even civilians! No one's seen his faced and lived. But from the looks of it, he wants to kill Arlong now."

"That's not Ricky," Usopp finally spoke up. Nami was surprised to have someone agree with her and turned to face him. Usopp explained his earlier encounter with Red Eye from last chapter. How he was getting strangled and was starting to see spots, then how a spark of life appeared in Ricky's hazel eye and he was suddenly released and sent flying to the side. "The real Ricky saved me from that one and told me to stay out of his way."

"Then it's gotta be something to do with that eye," Nami resolved. "He's completely different now, and it started when he took his eye patch off. It's like someone else is speaking through him."

"You giving up yet?" asked Rick as he stood in front of Arlong with an evil smile on his face.

"SHARK ON DARTS!" Arlong shouted before he rocketed towards Red Eye, but Rick held his arm out in front of him and Arlong suddenly stopped and floated in midair.

"What the hell?" the confused fishman exclaimed.

"RED EYE… BODY BLOW!" **WOOOOSH!** Rick lashed out his good arm and Arlong doubled over as if he had been struck in the stomach. "RED EYE… UPPERCUT!" **WOOOOSH!** Rick followed up with an upward thrust which impacted with Arlong's jaw and snapped his mouth shut with such force that Arlong's teeth shattered and broke. **TINK! TINK!** Arlong's teeth fell to the ground at his feet.

Rick stepped back and smirked at Arlong, "Scared yet?"

The audience stared in shock as Arlong held his hands up to his mouth. His teeth had been shattered and there was barely anything left.

"Where's your spirit and superiority now, fish?" Rick taunted Arlong, there was a psychotic look in his eye, "IS IT BROKEN LIKE YOUR TEETH?"

"I'm a shark fishman," said Arlong as he pulled the remains of his teeth out, then suddenly grew new ones. "If I lose my teeth I just grow them back."

"That's a nice little trick," Rick remarked, "Heh-heh-heh! I guess I'll just have to crush this set too."

"You can't kill me," Arlong snarled. "Do you know what the difference is between you and me?"

"Is it that I'm more dangerous than you?" Red Eye guessed.

"You're not more dangerous than me!" Arlong snapped as he reached into his mouth and pulled out the new set of teeth, they stayed in the shape of his mouth while he held them in his hand.

"The World Government obviously thinks otherwise," Rick pointed out as a new set to teeth sprouted in Arlong's mouth. "My bounty is five times was yours is."

"Ricky has a bounty?" questioned Luffy.

"Johnny and Yosaku just said Red Eye had a 100,000,000 berries," Nami answered. "But since everyone thinks he's dead, it's not active any more. Arlong used to be the highest in the East Blue with 20,000,000."

"Cool!" Luffy commented. "I can't wait until I get a bounty like that!"

"Do you think I'm scared of you?" asked Arlong as he pulled out his teeth so he had a set in his other hand too. The ones in his mouth quickly re-grew. "You may have killed some of my fishman brothers, but their strength is nothing compared to mine! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME! The difference between us is… OUR SPECIES!" Wielding two sets of teeth in his hands and another set in his mouth, Arlong charged at Ricky and started snapping at him with all three sets of teeth. "TOOTH GUM!" **KLAK! KLAK! KLAK! KLAK!**

"Put those away before you hurt someone," Rick warned him as he easily dodged Arlong's three sets of teeth.

"Like you?" asked Arlong. **CHOMP!** Arlong's teeth sunk into flesh.

"LORD ARLONG! NOO!" groaned the fishman that Arlong had just realized that he had bitten.

Rick seemed to find the whole situation hilarious. "HEH-HEH-HEH!" Rick laughed. "SEE! Now you've hurt someone! THAT is called canibalism! HEH-HEH-HEH! Even _I _don't stoop that low!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Arlong yelled. "YOU USED ONE OF MY FISHMEN AS A SHIELD!"

"Heh-heh-heh! You shouldn't play with sharp objects," Rick lectured him. "I'm gonna have to take those away from you!" Rick snapped his arm downward and suddenly rocketed up into the air. **SHOO! **Arlong and everyone watching glanced overhead and watched Red Eye fly up into the air but they were soon blinded by the sun that was overhead.

"I can't see anything!" Usopp complained as he put on his goggles.

"That's the point," Zoro realized. "If you can't see him, neither can Arlong."

"DAMN IT HUMAN! GET DOWN HERE!" Arlong roared as he raised his arms up above his head to block the sun while squinting up for any sign of Rick.

"**RED EYE… DIVE!"** came a loud shout, a black blur rocketed down from the sky, **KER-WHAM!** Rick slammed feet-first down on the teeth Arlong was holding over his head. **KRAK! Tink-tink-tink! **The teeth Arlong was holding shattered and fell to the ground in front of him.

"Heh-heh-heh," Rick laughed as he jumped backwards and landed in front of Arlong. "Now you won't bite anyone else!"

**-x-**

**Darts:**

**-x-**

"Let me get this straight," Sanji commented as he, Nojiko, and Genzo sat together and watched Red Eye take on Arlong. "We went through all that trouble to get Luffy out of the water. And now crap-eye is fighting that fish bastard instead?"

"Uh… yes," said Nojiko, "But, we'd have to get Luffy out of the water sooner or later. And incase that 'Red Eye' doesn't stop Arlong, we'll still have Luffy to finish him off. We could actually win!"

"That might be harder than you think," Genzo pointed out. "I think they're just getting started."

"But what happens if both crap-eye and Luffy lose?" asked Sanji.

"Then we're all dead," Nojiko replied.

"Well I never thought I'd say this," Sanji remarked, "especially after he blew a hole in the wall of my restaurant, but… GO CRAP-EYE!"

**-x-**

"Hey Ricky," Zoro called out from his spot on the ground, catching Red Eye's attention, "If you lose… I'll kill you."

Rick turned to the swordsman and stared at him. For a brief second a flicker of recognition appeared in Ricky's hazel eye.

"What the…" Nami said to herself, seemingly the only one to notice the look that appeared in his eye.

Arlong charged at Rick, looking to hit him while he was distracted. But Rick turned and saw Arlong coming and held his arm out in front of him, then suddenly raised it up into the air, causing Arlong to go flying up into the air over his head. "RED EYE… SLAM!" Rick shouted as he snapped his arm down, **BOOM!** Arlong plummeted down from the sky and plowed right into the ground. Rick then swung his arm to the side and Arlong was flung into the water. **SPLASH!**

"Ricky! You just threw a fishman in the water, you idiot!" Nami yelled.

Rick turned and stared at her, and once again a flicker of emotion appeared in Ricky's normal eye.

"Stop bothering me, woman!" Red Eye snapped, "Can't you see I'm killing someone?"

"**SHARK ON DARTS!"** came a loud shout as Arlong came rocketing up out of the water like a torpedo and rammed right into the distracted Rick's stomach, **WHAM! **Rick was knocked to the side and Arlong kept going and plowed right into the wall that was connected to the awning above his broken throne.

"Ouch, that had to hurt," Usopp commented.

"He just took a direct hit from a fishman!" Yosaku exclaimed.

"And one that had just come out of the water too!" added Johnny. "The velocity of that would have torn one of us in half!"

Arlong pulled himself free from the wall and stood on the awning and glared down at Rick. But Rick pulled himself up to his feet and turned to face Arlong again and started laughing. "HEH-HEH-HEH! IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?" Rick taunted.

"He just took a direct hit, and got right back up!" Usopp exclaimed. "Arlong must have knocked him silly!"

"I think he's a lot tougher and crazier than we gave him credit for," Zoro commented.

"And they say you were once Jinbei's equal in power?" questioned Rick.

"That's right, once," said Arlong. "My power has only grown in this time, I'm stronger now than that honor bound fool will ever be."

"Well if that's the case," said Ricky, "he must not be very strong at all! You're not! I've seen Jinbei once before. He fought for five days straight without giving an inch. He must've gotten a whole hell of a lot weaker if _you're _as strong as he is. HEH-HEH-HEH!"

Arlong gritted his teeth in anger and glared down at Ricky, "So somehow you managed to withstand my attack. All that means is that your torment will continue!"

"The only torment I'm going through is that you're still speaking," said Rick. "I just wanted to see what you were capable of. I_ let_ you get that attack in. Compared to the attacks this body's used to, THAT WAS NOTHING! You're just a big fish in a small pond, you're out of your league."

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Arlong screamed, getting worked up just like Rick had said, "SHARK ON DARTS!"

Arlong leapt off of the awning he was on and shot at Rick, but as a blur Rick spun to the side, causing Arlong to plow right into the ground where Rick had been standing before. **THUD! **"Ole," said Rick as he struck a one-armed pose.

Arlong had his nose stuck in the ground but then shouted, "SHARK ON DARTS!" And suddenly launched at Rick again, but Rick shot his arm down and launched up into the air, causing Arlong to speed underneath him. **SWISH! **Rick landed and turned around just as Arlong was stopping, the fishman turned around and shouted "SHARK ON DARTS!" and rocketed towards Rick again. Rick shot out his arm and moved it to the side, **WOOOSH!** Arlong veered off course and went passed Rick and ended up splashing into the water again. **SPLASH!**

"This is getting kind of repetitive and boring," Rick commented as he turned and stared down into the water where Arlong was no doubt recovering.

"Oh no, Arlong's back in the water!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Ricky, get out of there!" Nami called out.

"Heh-heh-heh! Here fishy, fishy, fishy," Rick openly mocked Arlong in a sing-song voice. "Come out and plaaaaay…"

Underwater, Arlong was planning to attack again, _"This time I'll go twice as fast!" _Arlong decided. _"I'll slice right through him! NO ONE makes a fool out of me and lives!" _

"Come on, fish," Rick prodded Arlong, "I was kind of hoping this wouldn't take all day! I _do _have other people to kill."

**SPOOSH! **"SHARK ON TOOTH!" Arlong shouted as he came shooting out of the water at an alarming speed, this time his mouth was opened and he was looking to hit Rick teeth first when he got to him.

But Rick dropped down on his back and shot his legs up into Arlong's stomach as he was going over him, "Red Eye… UNDERBELLY KICK!" **WHAM! **Arlong was launched upward and went flying up into the air. Rick got up to his feet then shot his arm down at his side, causing him to go rocketing up after Arlong. **SHOO!**

"What's he trying to do?" Sanji wondered as he, Nojiko, and Genzo watched the battle from their hiding spot.

Rick shot up into the air much faster than Arlong and ended up going up higher than him, "RED EYE… STOMP!" Rick shouted as he did a front-flip and drove both of his feet into Arlong's back, **THOMP! **

Arlong went plummeting back down to the ground. **KER-RASH!** Arlong slammed into the ground with such force that it created a crater, Rick landed on top of him in a crouch, but casually stood up and took a few steps back then peered down at Arlong.

"Hey fish! Fish! Can you hear me?" Rick called out as he stared down at Arlong. "Are you dead yet?"

**-x-**

**Frenzy:**

**-x-**

"It worked!" Johnny and Yosaku exclaimed as they stared at the hole that Arlong was in. Rick was just standing over it with a vague smile on his face.

"Is it over?" Luffy wondered.

But suddenly Arlong's eyes flickered open, then the fishman got back up.

**-x-**

"Arlong looks different!" Nojiko and Genzo observed, the expression on Arlong's face and the look in his eyes was terrifying.

"That's the look a shark gets when they go berserk!" Sanji exclaimed, "crap-eye's attack only enraged him!"

**-x-**

"You're stronger then you look," Rick commented as Arlong turned to face him.

"I've never seen his eyes like that before," said Nami as she stared at Arlong's angry eyes. Arlong was really mad now.

Arlong suddenly shot his hand out and he grabbed Rick by the throat, "YOU ARE A WORTHLESS HUMAN!" Arlong screamed. "AND I AM A MIGHTY FISHMAN! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Arlong threw Rick as hard as he could at the front wall of Arlong Park.

But Rick shot his arm out and he slowed to a stop then levitated down to the ground. **Tmp!** "What did you expect?" Rick asked.

"RRRAAAAHHH!" Arlong roared in rage and rushed at Rick, he lashed out his fist and aimed at Rick's head but Rick simply stepped to the side causing Arlong to punch a hole in the wall. **BOOM!**

"Too slow, fish," Rick mocked him, causing Arlong to glare at him. But what Rick didn't know was that when Arlong had punched through the wall he had grabbed hold of a weapon on the other side.

**KREESH! **With a mighty yank Arlong pulled his fist and the long blade it was holding out from the wall to reveal a long sword with a jagged saw-like blade. It was bigger than Arlong and no doubt weighted a ton. Arlong quickly raised the giant blade up over his head then brought it crashing down on Ricky, **WHAM!** A cloud of dust rose from the impact hiding both the merman and the human from view. The people watching all stood by and waited to see what had happened.

"What the heck is that thing?" Luffy wondered.

"IT'S A GAINT SAW!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted together.

"Kiribachi," said Nami in a whisper, she had heard that Arlong only used his saw-blade when he was really mad. She'd never seen him angry enough to wield it.

"Did he get him?" questioned Usopp.

"It didn't sound like it," Zoro reasoned.

The dust cleared and revealed Arlong standing there with _Kiribachi_ imbedded in the ground in front of him. Arlong's eyes were wide open in surprise, Red Eye was balancing on top of the shaft of his saw blade and had his own sword positioned at the fishman's throat, he was completely unharmed.

"So that's how you want to do this, huh?" asked Rick. "HEH-HEH-HEH! Now we both get to play with sharp, pointy objects! I'LL GUT YOU LIKE THE FISH YOU ARE!"

**SHUNK! **Arlong snarled angrily and hefted his weapon up out of the ground causing Rick to go flying up over his head. As Rick started falling Arlong spun around and slashed him with his blade. **KLANG!** Rick spun around in mid air and blocked Arlong's attack with his sword and his steel-soled boots. Rick was still knocked backwards from the impact, but landed gracefully on his feet. **Tmp!**

"Here I come!" Rick called out as he brandished his sword and charged at Arlong.

"I'LL SKEWER YOU!" Arlong screamed. He raised _Kiribachi_ again and started swinging wildly at the charging Rick in a mad frenzy. But to further infuriate Arlong, all Rick would do was dodge the blade or deflect it with his sword.

**SWOOSH! **"Heh-heh-heh, you're starting to get a bit desperate," Rick observed as he ducked another wild swing from Arlong. "Have you finally realized how outmatched you are? You're a pitiful swordsman, I'd bet the swordsman over there could beat you… if he wasn't half-dead." **KLANG! **Rick knocked Arlong's return swing off course with his own sword.

Zoro snorted when he was mentioned and was watching the duel with interest now. As far as he could tell, Red Eye had Arlong at a major disadvantage. Arlong was getting angry and was swinging wildly, hoping to hack off a limb. But Red Eye was maintaining the cold, cocky… and somewhat psychotic attitude through the entire exchange, and was easily deflecting any and all of Arlong's attacks. A good swordsman keeps a cool head in battle and is always aware of his surroundings, that was what Red Eye was doing in his own unorthodox way. Arlong on the other hand was about to boil over.

"Heh-heh-heh! You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn," Rick taunted. **SWISH! **Arlong swung his blade around again, but Rick jumped backwards and dodged it. "What makes you think you can hit me?" Arlong quickly recovered and slashed his saw back around at Rick. **KLANK! **Rick jumped up into the air and blocked the tip of the saw with his hooked sword but the momentum of Arlong's swing ended up knocking him backwards.

Rick went flying back but stopped himself and lightly touched down on a patch of the roof of the building structure of Arlong Park. **TMP!** Arlong leapt up into the air and brought his saw blade down from over his head, **SHUNK! **Arlong drove his weapon down into the spot on the roof that Rick had just vacated.

"Okay, maybe you _can_ hit the broad side of a barn," Rick corrected himself as he stood on the roof above Arlong. "But you know, BUILDINGS CAN'T MOVE THAT FAST!"

Arlong flipped over his sword and yanked it out of the roof, **SHUNK!** Then in the same movement he flipped forward and leapt up onto the next floor and swung downward at Red Eye. **KRASH!** Rick jumped out of the way and once again dodged Arlong's attack. This continued until Red was standing on the very top of Arlong Park with the flag waving up above his head.

"Arlong's relentless!" Yosaku exclaimed.

"Red Eye could be in trouble!" Johnny shouted.

"He looks okay to me," Zoro disagreed.

"It's only a matter of time until Arlong manages to hit him," Johnny yelled. "Then it's all over!"

"No," said Luffy simply, "Ricky's tougher than that. He can beat Arlong."

"Luffy, are you sure?" asked Nami, she had never seen Arlong this angry, she was getting worried for Ricky.

"Yup," Luffy answered, "Arlong can't beat Ricky. That's why he's on our crew!"

"Wait…" Yosaku cut in. "You just learned that he's a mass murderer, and you're still allowing him on your crew?"

"I don't care about that stuff," Luffy stated. "All that matters to me is that he's my brother. He was there for me when nobody else was. He's also Nakama and right now he's fighting Arlong so we don't have to."

Nami stared at Luffy in surprise, there was that word again. Nakama. Even though they had just learned that Ricky was supposedly a demon—she still refused to believe it—Luffy still saw him as a brother and a crewmate.

"Hey Nami, since I'm not fighting the fish-guy, can I have my hat back?" asked Luffy.

Nami nodded faintly and handed Luffy his treasured straw hat back. Luffy nodded his thanks before they both turned their attention back to the fight.

Up on the roof, Rick jumped to the side and dodged Arlong's shark saw as it came crashing down at him. **SHUNK! **Rick backed away from Arlong as he flipped up onto the roof and pulled his saw blade free after him. **FWUMP!** "End of the line, human," growled Arlong. "Now it's time to end this!"

"So you give up?" asked Rick.

"DIE!" Arlong bellowed as he charged at Rick. But Rick stepped backwards and jumped off of the roof, then shot his arm out behind him and smashed through the glass window in front of him. **KRASH!**

Rick rolled to a stop and found himself in a room filled with charts, maps, tables, and bookshelves. His face immediately went blank and a cold glare appeared in both his normal hazel eye and his red eye. _"He's mine."_

"_**You'd better kill him brat, because if you don't… the blue haired girl dies first."**_

**-x-**

"He's gone inside!" Sanji announced to Nojiko and Genzo.

"The left window on the top floor…" Nami observed, "The Chart Room!"

**-x-**

"Not hard to guess whose room this was," Ricky commented as Arlong stepped through the smashed window into the room. The red eye was still glowing, but his normal eye was filled with suppressed anger.

"That's right," said Arlong as he watched Ricky stare at a chart on the wall. "These are the charts that Nami spent the last eight years drawing for me. Fishmen are excellent at gathering information about the sea, but without a decent cartographer it's worthless. That Nami's a genius, no one else in the world can make charts and maps like these. There's nothing more tragic and stupid then wasting one's gifts."

"And yet that's exactly what you're doing by forcing her to stay here," Ricky pointed out. "Not only are you arrogant, you're a hypocrite too."

"You idiot," Arlong snapped. "Drawing charts for me allows Nami to achieve her full potential. With her charts soon I'll achieve my dream! The East Blue is only a stepping stone! We'll move onto the other oceans and Nami will draw our charts there too. Once we have charts of all the World's oceans no one will oppose us. THE WORLD WILL BECOME MY EMPIRE!"

"Not likely, your reign of terror ends here," Ricky informed him.

"Don't get too cocky human," said Arlong. "A pathetic crew like yours could never use Nami the way I do. NOW DIE!" Arlong swung his Shark Saw at Ricky.

But Ricky dropped his sword and raised his arm up in the air, and suddenly the blade stopped. _"Kiribachi!" _Arlong thought frantically, _'Why can't I move it?" _

Ricky turned around and glared at Arlong, "**Use?**" Ricky repeated, his red eye glowing with a strange new intensity. _**"I almost feel sorry for him."**_

**-x-**

**Down in Flames:**

**-x-**

Ricky grabbed Arlong's Shark Saw with his good arm and drove it down onto his knee, **KA-RAK! **Ricky broke the blade clean in half. "KIRIBACHI!" Arlong exclaimed as Ricky tossed top half of Arlong's broken weapon to the side.

"What the hell do you think Nami is?" Ricky demanded as he glared at Arlong.

"She's an excellent Cartographer," Arlong answered, he was slightly uneasy from the glare Ricky was giving him, it was a lot different from the psychotic one from earlier. "Even if she is of an inferior species, compared to the rest of you humans she's quite intelligent. She's like a spirited kitten… a cute one. Nami will continue to draw charts for me in this room forever! I'll feed her, I'll buy her all the clothes she wants, and I'll give her everything she wants as long as she continues to draw maps for me. Besides… we're crewmates."

"What about Nami's dreams and ambitions?" Ricky growled. "What about what Nami wants? You're blackmailing her into staying her against her will, you're keeping her from doing the things she wants to do. Nami's not your crewmate, to you she's just some kind of PET!" Ricky reached into his top right pocket with his left arm and pulled out an explosion ball.

"Hey, what happened to Red Eye?" Usopp asked the others on the outside. "What's going on in there?"

**KA-BOOM! **Ricky threw the Explosion Ball at the bookcase in the corner and on impact it exploded and burst into flames.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Arlong demanded as Ricky pulled out another two red balls and threw them at the pile of charts in the corner. **KA-BOOM! BOOM! **The balls exploded and blew a hole in the wall, and all of the charts instantly combusted and started burning. The fire started to spread and caught onto the bookshelf next to all of the charts, all the books on navigation found themselves victims of the now raging fire.

Ricky pulled out another red ball, then turned and kicked the desk behind him causing it to go crashing through the window behind it. **KRASH! **Ricky threw the Explosion Ball after it and it exploded when it collided with the desk in midair. **KA-BOOM!**

**-x-**

Outside the spectators saw a desk come flying out the window and then the desk exploded when something hit it.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Yosaku shrieked.

"IT'S A DESK!" Usopp exclaimed when the flame-covered wooden desk slammed down to the ground in front of them.

"I thought it was Red Eye or Arlong," Johnny admitted.

Everyone looked up and saw a thick cloud of black smoke billowing out of the smashed window. Smoke like that meant... "THE INSIDE OF THAT ROOM'S ON FIRE!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted.

"Ricky…" said Nami, as she glanced at the burning remains of the desk that Arlong had forced her to sit and draw countless charts for him, the same charts that were now burning inside of the raging inferno that had once been the chart room. She slowly reached up and grabbed the eye patch that was around her neck.

**-x-**

Ricky pulled out another pair of the red balls and threw them to the other side of the room. **KA-BOOM! BOOM! **The balls exploded and blew a hole in the wall connecting this room to the room next to it. The flames were quick to catch onto everything in the next room and now that was on fire too. Soon the entire top floor of Arlong Park was burning up.

Arlong started sweating, the temperature in the room had just risen quite a bit, and now he was surrounded in flames. "You little bastard!" Arlong yelled as he watched all of the charts he had made Nami draw burn to a crisp before his very eyes.

"What's the matter?" Ricky taunted Arlong, he was barely sweating, "can't stand a little heat?"

**-x-**

"What's going on up there?" Usopp wondered. "Why's it burning?"

Nami just stood silently and watched as smoke came billowing out from the room Arlong had forced her to stay in and draw all of his map and charts. She remembered Arlong punishing her for the smallest mistake, how much she missed Bellemere, how Arlong kept her slaving away constantly drawing maps all her life. The room she had slaved away in for the last eight years was now burning to a smoldering crisp, and she had a feeling that it was Ricky's doing. Not the other Ricky, the one people called a demon… the real Ricky, the one who fought a lion to avenge a dog, the one who was willing to give up over two billion berries to save a village that meant nothing to him, _that _Ricky… _her_ Ricky.

**-x-**

"My charts!" Arlong exclaimed, "My Sea Charts! Blast you, human! You just destroyed eight years of Nami's work!"

All four walls of the room were covered in flames, the entire room was burning save for a small section in the seemed completely unaffected and was only sweating slightly from the intense heat.

"THAT DOES IT!" Arlong growled, "YOU'VE SEALED YOUR FATE! YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, HUMAN!"

**-x-**

"That must be some fight going on up there!" Luffy exclaimed. "The entire room's burning now!" The flames were coming out from he holes in the walls and were spreading onto anything flammable. The entire top floor was staring to light on fire.

Nami just stood silently as tears slowly appeared in her eyes and streaked down her cheeks, the room she had been tormented in for the last eight years, as well as the rest of top floor of Arlong Park was burning to a crisp. _"Ricky..." _said Nami in her mind her hand clenched tightly on his eye patch, "_Thank you…"_

"What's going on?" Sanji wondered, "The explosions stopped."

**-x-**

"Congratulations," said Ricky. "You've earned your place on the list of things I truly hate. It's a rather exclusive list and you're right behind this red eye of mine."

"Grrr… finally we agree on something," Arlong snarled. "I've met a lot of humans that I've hated, but you're at the top of the list. I won't stop until you're dead."

"Good, then let's end this," Ricky decided. "The only way for me to truly destroy you is to make sure this wretched place of yours goes down in flames."

"I'd like to see you try!" Arlong challenged. "No human can destroy Arlong Park! I'll kill you! SHARK TOOTH DRILL!" Arlong shot at Ricky like a spinning torpedo with his mouth wide opened, exposing his sharp teeth.

**SWISH! **Ricky spun to the side and dodged Arlong, then pressed down into his back as he went passed and drove him face-first into the floor. Arlong was going so fast that his long nose snapped as it and then the rest of his body slammed into the floor at full speed, **KRAK-OOOOM! **The floor shook and cracked from the impact of Arlong slamming into it, the fishman rolled over onto his back and held his broken nose.

Ricky held his arm out to the side and levitated up to the ceiling, the flames were already there and started licking at Ricky's shirt and pants legs. _**"You idiot, now you've lit yourself on fire."**_

Arlong stared up at Ricky but his eyes shot opened in shock at what he saw, fire had caught onto the legs of Ricky's pants and then onto his black shirt, but Ricky was showing no signs of discomfort or pain. Judging from the temperature of the flames that Arlong was desperately trying to stay away from, Ricky had to be burning up.

"W-what are you?" asked Arlong. This wasn't an ordinary human! Humans weren't resistant to fire! The rumors were true, he had to be some kind of demon straight out of hell! How else could he ignore being burned alive? Ricky's clothes were clearly flammable because both legs of his pants were burning as was the back and sides of his black shirt. Ricky's right arm was still hanging limply at his side, but he didn't even seem to notice it.

"I'm the one who's going to kill you," Ricky answered simply, as he held this sword out in front of him. Arlong stared at Ricky and finally realized that this human could conceivably kill him. "Red Blade… WILDFIRE METEOR!" Ricky held his sword, which was coated in flames, out in front of him then shot down at Arlong spinning around like a flaming drill.

**SLA-SLISH! **Ricky slammed hard into Arlong's chest and the red blade slashed into him, fishman blood was spilled. The fire on Ricky's sword caught on Arlong and started burning his chest, from inside the wound and out. **CRASH! SMASH! KRASH! **Ricky slammed into Arlong and drove him through the already weakened floor, but kept going until he slammed Arlong hard into the bottom floor of Arlong Park. The entire building shook and started to crack from the impact of both of them going through all eight floors and smashing into the ground below.

**-x-**

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Usopp screamed as Arlong Park started shaking and looked as if it was going to come crashing down.

"This is crazy!" Johnny exclaimed. "Arlong Park is gonna collapse!"

"Everybody watch out!" Yosaku yelled. "We've gotta get out of here!"

The villagers and bounty hunters turned and ran. "Nami, we've gotta get out of here!" Zoro called out as he fought up to his feet, a building coming crashing down on him was not going to help his injuries.

"But Ricky's still in there!" Nami protested in a panic. Then she caught sight of the look on Luffy's face. The look in Luffy's eyes showed that he knew everything would be alright.

"He'll be okay," Luffy told her. Nami nodded meekly and allowed Zoro to pull her away from the building that was bound to come crashing down at any second.

**-x-**

"How?" asked a defeated Arlong as Ricky got off of him and stood up, the flames on him had gone out but the damage they had done remained. His pants legs had been burned revealing the serious burns Ricky had on his legs. Ricky's black shirt was already sleeveless so it was easy to see the burns on his arms but now the shirt was scorched and had several holes burned through it. If you looked through the blood and singed bits of the shirt on his left shoulder you'd be able to see deep bite marks that went down to the cracked bone.

But Arlong was in even worse condition, his chest had been sliced opened and his rib cage had been shattered after being driven through every floor of Arlong Park. On top of that his signature nose had been broken. "How could a human like you defeat me? I'm Arlong, feared terror of the East Blue, I'm an all powerful fishman… how did I lose?"

**KREK! KRAKA! **A loud crash rang out as the top of Arlong Park started to give way, "That's what happens when you believe yourself to be invincible," Ricky lectured. "Eventually someone comes along and proves you wrong. I'm glad it was me. You know, letting you live might be even worse than killing you. If you survive the injuries you've been given, you'd have to live with the fact that a mere _human _like me defeated you."

"_**Eh-hem."**_

"But I'm not gonna do that," Ricky said, much to Arlong's relief. "An annoying voice in my head would never let me hear the end of it."

"_**Watch it."**_

For the first time ever, Arlong was completely afraid, this boy couldn't be a human, he really was a demon. He had taken everything he had and was still standing. He had nearly bitten the boy's arm off but he kept fighting. He had even been lit on fire and had been severely burned, but he was showing no signs of pain.

A small grin appeared on Ricky's face, "You're scared of me," Ricky observed. "I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in your mind. But at least you're facing death like a ma—a fishman, not a coward. I hate you, you're a disgusting, horrible waste of flesh, but for all your faults at least you're not a sniveling coward." Ricky held out his arm and Arlong floated up off of the ground into almost a standing position. Ricky reached into his top right pocket and pulled out a final red explosion ball and it floated into Arlong's mouth and was wedged between his teeth. Ricky took a step back and stared Arlong dead in the eye, "I'll see you in hell. JAVELIN KICK… EXPLOSION!" **CRUNCH!** Ricky lashed out his leg and drove his boot into the explosion ball in between Arlong's teeth, causing it to explode. **KA-BOOOM! **Arlong's body hit the ground and he didn't move. Arlong was dead.

**KRASH! **Ricky looked up and saw Arlong Park coming crashing down. "Not one of my better ideas…"

"_**On the contrary, I enjoyed that immensely.**__**And now we know that Arlong will never be the HEAD of another major organization."**_

"_You're disgusting."_

"_**Don't lose your head over it. ARLONG ALREADY DID! HEH-HEH-HEH!"**_

"_I think I'm gonna be sick."_

**-x-**

Nami watched in horror from a safe distance away as all eight floors of Arlong Park came crashing down, **KA-BLOOOSH!** "RIIIICKYYYYY!" she screamed as the dust and smoke from the flaming rubble settled. Everyone knew the fight was over. Arlong and Arlong Park were gone.

**-x-**

Well Arlong's done. Don't worry, not next chapter, but the oneafter that everything about Ricky will be revealed. His past, his former pirate crew, and of course, how he got the eye.

One of my regular reviewers Raidentensho pointed out that the Red Eye is a lot like the Jagan from Yu Yu Hakusho. Ability wise, it is very similar, it wields powers like telekinesis, telepathy, and enhanced vision. But it's not an implant on the forehead and it has a different appearance.

Next chapter involves the aftermath of Arlong's defeat and the Straw Hats have to take care of the other villain.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	40. Chapter 39

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece, if I did, the 4-Kids dub would've never existed.

**The Other Villain:**

**-x-**

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Johnny, Yosaku, Nojiko, Genzo, Dr. Nako and the other people from Cocoyashi Village stared at the burning remains of Arlong Park in amazement. It was hard to believe, but it was really gone, the entire thing was reduced to a big pile of burning rubble.

"Well, you've gotta hand it to the guy," Zoro commented from his spot on the ground, "Ricky knows how to make an impact. I doubt there's anyone on this island that didn't see the smoke or hear the sound of it crashing down."

"Arlong Park has… fallen…" Dr. Nako realized, it was still hard to believe.

"Whoa," said Johnny in amazement.

"What do you think happened in there?" Yosaku wondered.

Sanji, Nojiko, and Genzo popped back up out of the water after diving into it to avoid being hit with flaming rubble. "Who won?" questioned Sanji.

"With everything destroyed, you don't think…" Nojiko started. Could Red Eye have survived? Or was he really dead this time?

"Ricky…" Usopp mumbled, uncertain of his Nakama's fate.

Everyone stared at the wreckage for a moment, then some of the rubble suddenly lifted and moved to the side, and then was dropped back down to the ground. **THUD!** Where the rubble had been, Ricky slowly pulled himself back up to his feet and weakly held his red sword.

"_Ow,"_ he muttered to himself.

"_**You idiot, why'd you go and get yourself lit on fire?"**_

"_Luffy's still in perfect shape, he won't let you kill anyone and you'll never beat him with me in my current condition."_

"_**You… little… bastard…"**_

"_I win. Now if you don't want to die right here, you'll let me keep control."_

"_**I'll get you for this. And I'll kill everyone you hold dear."**_

"RICKY!" Nami exclaimed as Ricky staggered away from the remains of Arlong Park and walked over to her. Nami stared at the bright red eye, then glanced down at the burns that were all over his body, then settled on the bite mark on his shoulder and his blood covered arm. Ricky sheathed his sword and lifted his good arm and then pulled it back, his eye patch slipped up and off of Nami's head and end floated over to Ricky. It slipped over his head and then once again covered his red eye.

Nami instantly saw a change. Ricky's eye was watering as she saw a pain-filled grimace on his face. "You're welcome," Ricky said simply, **FWUMP!** Then he collapsed and would've fallen on the ground if Nami hadn't caught him.

"You know what this means, don't you Nami?" Luffy asked as he walked over and stood beside her as she held up the unconscious First Mate, "You're one of us now!"

Nami couldn't help it but tears appeared in her eyes and started streaking down her cheeks. Luffy was right, it was over. Arlong was gone. She was free! "We're Nakama," Nami sobbed in reply, causing a huge grin to appear on Luffy's face.

"He won!" Usopp shouted with a broad smile on his goofy face.

"He did it, Nojiko! He won!" Sanji exclaimed as he leapt over to hug her. **SPLASH! **Sanji missed and crashed into the water because Nojiko had moved over and was hugging Genzo instead.

"Mr. Genzo!" said Nojiko, "It's like a dream. I never thought I'd see this day!"

"ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!" the villagers cheered. The villagers rejoiced and immediately started celebrating.

Luffy laughed at the cheering villagers while Nami carefully laid down the unconscious pirate. "Doctor, get over here!" Nami ordered as she quickly shifted into 'ship mother mode'. Ricky was hurt badly.

But suddenly a loud shout rang out, **"HOLD EVERYTHING! Hyk hyk hyk,"** Nezumi was back.

"It's him!" Nami exclaimed as she saw the Marine Captain heading over with his squadron.

"It saw the whole thing," Nezumi announced. "A pirate defeated 'Saw Tooth' Arlong. Now thanks to him I can keep the gold I was supposed to give to Arlong and all of the treasure in Arlong Park is also mine!"

Despite being unconscious, a grin appeared on Ricky's face. There was no treasure in Arlong Park.

"I'll also be taking that pirate into custody," Nezumi continued. "In a few days time he will be a wanted criminal. Marine Headquarters will reward me handsomely with his bounty." Apparently Nezumi hadn't seen _everything_, he'd just been attracted by the sound of Arlong Park crashing down to the ground. So he only saw the very end.

"You can't do that!" Dr. Nako exclaimed as he looked over Ricky. "This boy has saved us all and is gravely injured!"

"That _boy_ interfered with the duties of a marine squadron, assaulted twelve of my men, and assaulted an officer. In two days he's going to have a bounty on his head which will go directly to me." Nezumi shot back before he turned to his marines. "Get the pirate and secure him on the ship."

The marines were about to step forward when suddenly… "**GUM… ****GUM… ****PISTOL!**"** POW!** A rubber fist slammed into Nezumi's face and sent him crashing to the ground. "You got a problem with my First Mate, you've got a problem with me," Luffy growled as he glared at the marine. "Nobody touches my Nakama."

"Y-you hit me!" Nezumi exclaimed from the ground. "How dare you!"

"We're celebrating our victory," said Zoro as he, Usopp, and Sanji came and stood beside Luffy and in front of Ricky. "Don't be such a wet blanket."

**POW! POW! WHAM! SLISH! SLISH! SLOSH! THWACK! THWACK! THWHAM! CHEW! WOMP!**

About a minute later, Nezumi and all his marines were lying in a battered pile with the four straw hats standing over them.

"Y-y-you're… d-defying the m-marines…" Nezumi stammered, "Y-you'll p-pay for this!"

"He still doesn't get it," Sanji commented.

"You won't hurt my brother or _any_ of my Nakama," Luffy growled.

Suddenly Nami stood up and got her bow staff out as she walked over and crouched down in front of Nezumi. "This is for trying to shoot Nojiko and for ruining Bellemere's tangerine grove." Nami pulled back her bow staff and swung it with all her strength, **WHACK!** She connected with a hard shot to the side of the Marine Captain's head and sent him flying.

"Thanks Nami," said Nojiko happily.

"A thousand more and we'll call it even!" Genzo encouraged her.

Nezumi went flying into the waterway of what had once been Arlong Park, **SPLASH! **When Nezumi finally bobbed back up to the surface, Nami was there waiting for him on one knee. "Now, you guys are going to clean up the fishmen and help rebuild Gosa Village," Nami explained as if she were talking to a child, "And you don't get to keep any of the money from Arlong Park, that belongs to the people of this island. Oh and one more thing…" Nami reached out and pulled on Nezumi's mouse-like whiskers.

"Ow, ow!" Nezumi yelped, "Whatever you say!"

"GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!" Nami ordered.

"Okay, okay!" the marine conceded.

"Hey guys," said Nami as she stood up and turned back to the straw hats, and flashed them a sweet smile, "Do you think you could help Captain Nezumi make it back to his ship?"

"We can do that," Luffy replied with a smile, the rest of the crew smiled beside him.

**-x-**

About thirty seconds later Nezumi was splashing in the water with the rest of his squad outside of Arlong Park. "I WON'T FORGET THIS YOU ROTTON PIRATES!" screamed Nezumi, "YOU IN THE STRAW HAT—YOU SAID YOUR NAME WAS LUFFY—YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN? MARK MY FRIGGING WORDS! MAJOR THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU MADE ME ANGRY! I SWEAR YOU'LL REGRET THIS! I'LL GET MY REVENGE! JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!"

Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp stood together on the shore and listened as Nezumi's shouts faded in a distance. "He says major things are gonna happen," Sanji commented.

"How did he know about me becoming King of the Pirates?" Luffy wondered.

"That's not what he means at all!" Zoro snapped, "Are you really that dumb?"

"Hey… what if something _does _happen?" asked Usopp with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Hmph…" Genzo grunted as he and Dr. Nako worked together in an attempt to carry Ricky to a place where he could recover. "Who would've thought we'd be saved by pirates."

"You never know," Dr. Nako replied.

Nami approached the crowd of villagers that seemed eager to celebrate the fall of Arlong Park. "Look everybody," Nami addressed them. "The world thinks that Red Eye is dead. Revealing that Red Eye is alive will needlessly scare people. When you spread the word of what happened, tell them were saved by 'One Eye' Ricky and the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Keeping his identity a secret is the least we can do for that boy after he saved us," one of the villagers resolved. "COME ON EVERYBODY! LET'S TELL EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND THE GOOD NEWS! ARLONG PARK HAS BEEN DESTROYED!"

"YAAAHOOOOOOO!"

The villagers ran off shouting and cheering, one of them, was waving the fallen flag of the Arlong Pirates. They were gonna spread the word to the whole island, after eight long years Arlong Park had finally fallen.

**-x-**

A little while later Nami was sitting in front of Bellemere's grave. Genzo and Nojiko were standing close by. _"It's all over Bellemere,"_ Nami thought to her departed mother. _"It took eight years, but finally everybody's free."_

"Mr. Genzo, Nojiko," Nami eventually addressed the other two. "If Bellemere was still alive, do you think she would have let me become a pirate?"

"I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted her precious daughter to set sail with a punch of sea-wolves," Genzo replied.

"Of course she would," Nojiko answered at the same time. "But if she said no, would you have let her stop you?"

"Of course not," Nami said as she stuck her tongue out. "Nyya!"

"Hehehehe," Nojiko laughed.

But then Genzo started laughing too, "HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Mr. Genzo, what's with you?" asked Nojiko.

"Hahaha, I can't help it," Genzo laughed. "There's no doubt about it. You two certainly are Bellemere's kids! " Genzo turned and walked off, but called out over his shoulder, "Nami, you've already made up your mind. There's no use fighting it, live your life. It's what Bellemere would've wanted."

**-x-**

Down in Cocoyashi Village, Sanji and Usopp were sitting together outside of the Doctor's office. Zoro and Ricky were inside getting patched up and Luffy was watching. Loud grunts and yelps were coming from the office at regular intervals. "They're still at it?" questioned Sanji.

"Of course," Usopp replied. "His wound will take more than two years to heal!"

"That crazy guy just won't lie still," Sanji commented.

Inside Zoro was on a bed and Dr. Nako was attempting to stitch closed the wound on Zoro's chest. It was the wound made by Mihawk that had been reopened during Zoro's duel with Hachi. According to Dr. Nako, the wound wouldn't heal for two years. Personally, Zoro didn't mind, he'd wear that scar with pride, it had been given to him by the World's Greatest Swordsman and he had lived through it. Not many people could boast such a feat. Eventually, Zoro would go on to defeat Mihawk, but for now that scar would remind him that he had been weak and needed to get stronger.

Ricky was lying on the next bed over, still unconscious. His entire body was wrapped in bandages, his right arm was in a sling, and his shoulder was thickly bandaged. Arlong's teeth had broken his shoulder bone into pieces and it needed to be reset. Ricky's entire body had been covered in burns from the fire he had set in the chart room of Arlong Park. The only thing that was uncovered was his face, but his eye patch was firmly in place over his _other_ eye. Luffy was sitting in a chair between his two Nakama and Johnny and Yosaku were off to the side recovered from the beating they'd taken at the hands of te fishmen.

"You numbskulls!" Dr. Nako scolded them as he continued to stitch up Zoro. "How could you try to tend to such a serious injury by yourselves? Don't you have a doctor on your ship?"

"Actually, Ricky and Nami are the closest thing we have," Luffy admitted. "But a doctor… that'd be nice… But a musician should come first!"

"Why a musician?" asked Dr. Nako in exasperation.

"Well, pirates sing don't they?" questioned Luffy.

**-x-**

Meanwhile back at Marine Base Sixteen, Nezumi was pissed. Not only had he not been able to capture 'One Eye' Ricky, but because of that orange-haired witch and the brat with the straw hat, he wasn't able to get any gold at all. "Marine HQ, this is Commander Nezumi of Marine Base 16, code MC 00733. I HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT TO THE MAIN BASE!"

"_**You don't have to shout,"**_ the voice on the other end complained, _**"I can hear you just fine."**_

"I know I called in earlier, but I have something else to report! Listen! There is a pirate named, Luffy who always wears a straw hat! He and his five henchmen should be considered enemies of the government!"

At Marine HQ the marine on the other end was writing all of this down. "They are dangerous. I know I put a bounty on one of the pirates already, but he was just the First Mate … we need to put a price on their Captain! I'm sending you a picture of him!"

"_**Couldn't you have gotten a better picture?"**_ questioned the marine as he looked over the picture Nezumi had sent him. _**"And you still haven't gotten a picture of the first one. Who do you think he is, Red Eye?"**_

"This was the best I could do!" Nezumi snapped. "The pirates have barred me from the town."

"_**Alright,"**_ said the marine on the other end. _**"Try to get the other picture and when we get all the facts we'll request approval from the general staff."**_

"LISTEN!" Nezumi cut in, he wanted something done now, "He is a vicious pirate! I want him dead or alive! Put him on the wanted list and tell the world about him!"

And just like that, Luffy had gotten his first bounty and his first wanted poster. Of course the picture could have been better. Luffy's eyes were closed and he had a big goofy smile on his face. Also the back of Usopp's head was caught in the corner. But still, Straw Hat Luffy was one step closer to achieving his dream.

**-x-**

**Celebration:**

**-x-**

Night fell at last, and the sea was calm once more. The sound of music filled the night air. The entire island was celebrating, everyone was happy that Arlong was gone, the celebration had been going on for two days now. Everyone was happy and everyone was living for the moment.

**Glug… glug… GULB!** Zoro had been released by Dr. Nako under orders to take it easy, so he was sitting in between two houses drinking.

"**Boy am I stuffed," **came the voice of Sanji as he walked around the corner and sat down across from Zoro, "It's nice to not have to cook for a change. So how are you feeling Zoro?"

"I'll be okay," Zoro replied, "I think all I need is a little rest."

"That's good," Sanji said.

"Seriously, how much longer can they keep this up?" the swordsman wondered. "It's been two days now."

"Nothing wrong with that," Sanji reasoned as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, "smoke 'em if you got 'em."

**DOOM! **Luffy suddenly appeared with a huge leg of meat stuffed in his mouth and another two big legs of meat in each of his hands. "Hey Sanji, what was on that melon you just ate?" asked Luffy, who's mind was solely on food, "I wanna give it a try!"

"It isn't polite to talk with your mouth full," Zoro lectured him.

"It was prosciutto and fresh ham," answered the cook.

"Prosciutto?" Luffy repeated, "Where'd ya get that?"

"I dunno," Sanji admitted. "This whole town is basically one giant buffet. Good luck finding it."

Sanji looked up and Luffy was already gone, "He ran off," Zoro explained as he took another drink.

"Two days of stuffing his face," Sanji commented, he took his cigarette out of his mouth and put it out on the ground. "Now that my belly's full… time to dance." With that Sanji ran off in search of pretty girls, leaving the swordsman on his own. Zoro realized his cup was empty and went to sleep.

Nearby Usopp was standing on top of a big stack of tables so everyone could see him. He was eagerly sharing _his_ version of the battle with the fishmen. Which was of course a little farfetched, but still involved him beating Chew. He was still the life of the party and always had a huge crowd around him. "I'M CAPTAIN USOPP, AND THAT'S HOW I DEFEATED THE FISHMEN!"

"Hooray!" cheered the partygoers that were listening.

"Now I'm gonna sing!" Usopp announced as he raised his glass of grog up into the air, and led the crowd around him in a song.

"And Luffy wanted a musician," Ricky muttered as he sat off in another quiet alley drinking a bottle of grog. Scattered around him was a big empty barrel and another dozen empty grog bottles, he was clearly drinking a lot.

Despite finally being allowed to leave Dr. Nako's, Ricky still had bandages all over him, his left arm was no longer in a sling but the bandages on his shoulder were thicker than ever. He would always have a scar where Arlong had bitten him. Ricky's clothes had been mostly destroyed in the fire, the only thing that survived were his boots. So now he was wearing a pair of knee length black shorts that showed the bandages going down his legs to his feet, which were in a pair of sandals. Dr. Nako wouldn't allow him to wear his usual boots because the metal in them was apparently 'too heavy'. Ricky also had on a white button down shirt that was currently opened showing the bandages around his stomach and chest.

The people were happily oblivious to Ricky being Red Eye. The villagers that had been to Arlong Park were keeping Ricky's other identity to themselves as a way of thanking him. Ricky wasn't much for accepting praise, and stayed along the sidelines during the celebration. But at the very least, the villagers made sure he always had something to drink. And he drank A LOT.

Someone placed a hand on his padded shoulder and Ricky turned to see Nami standing behind him. "Hey Nami," Ricky greeted her with a smile. He had a glazed over look in his eye and was obviously more that just a little bit drunk.

"Hi," Nami replied. She stared at him for a moment and he stared back at her. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure," Ricky agreed as he stood up and carelessly chucked his empty bottle to the side.

**SMASH! **"AAAAHHH!" Usopp screamed as he was hit in the face with the bottle and fell of his stack of tables, **KRASH! **The villagers rushed over to Usopp to help him up while Nami ran off pulling Ricky along with her. She didn't want to be around when the villagers tried to figure out where the bottle had come from.

**-x-**

Nami eventually led Ricky to Bellemere's tangerine grove, they stood alone in the middle of the fruit bearing bushes. Nami let go of Ricky's hand and turned to face him, but didn't say anything for a moment.

"I wanted to do something," Nami eventually began, "But I wanted to wait until you were less drunk."

"You try staying sober when you've recently killed seventeen people… um… fishmen," Ricky retorted.

"Does the fact that they were evil and were extorting from everyone on this island, including me, help?" asked Nami.

"A bit, but that's this time," Ricky replied.

"You know, you'll eventually have to tell us about it," Nami told him.

"I know," said Ricky, "But I don't feel like telling everybody on this island my life's story. I'm not Captain Usopp."

"Look," Nami continued, "I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day."

"Oh, so you didn't just drag me up to here complain about my drinking habits," Ricky commented sarcastically.

"No," answered Nami, "but here it goes…"

**POW! **Nami punched Ricky as hard as she could in his injured shoulder.

"OWW!" Ricky yelped, as he held the spot where Nami had punched him. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR? THAT HURT YOU FREAKIN' PSYCHO!"

"FOR BEING AN IDIOT AND MAKING ME THINK YOU WERE DEAD!" Nami yelled right back, ignoring the fact that he was a lot more emotional when drunk.

"I SAVE YOUR VILLAGE AND YOU PUNCH MY SHATTERED SHOULDER?" Ricky complained, "THAT'S THE LAST TIME I HELP YOU!"

Nami replied by sticking her tongue out at him. Ricky glared at her and turned around to walk off but before he could take a step Nami came up from behind and reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him from behind. Nami pushed herself up onto her toes and quickly kissed him on the left cheek.

"Thank you," Nami whispered into his ear, "I don't know what the deal is with that eye, but I know you were the one who finished off Arlong. You also took bullets for my sister and even after I kicked you in the balls and shouted that I wanted nothing to do with you, you still helped me when I really needed you. Thank you." Nami pulled back and slipped around his other side, then quickly kissed his other cheek before she released him.

"But if you ever scare me like that again, I'll kill you!" Nami threatened him before she turned and walked off.

"That girl's crazy," Ricky muttered to himself before he wandered off in the opposite direction in search of something else to drink.

**-x-**

The next morning Genzo was walking up to Bellmere's grave with a bottle of liquor when he noticed Ricky lying there with a cluster of empty liquor bottles scattered around him, and for some reason Mohmoo's giant nose ring was around Ricky's neck.

Genzo shook his head and went over to the pirate and lightly kicked him in the side, "You okay kid?" he asked.

"Ow…" Ricky groaned as he held his bandaged side. But that wasn't what was really bothering him, he had a headache that could rival what Arlong went through when he died. He had a _major_ hangover. Ricky sat up and slowly opened his eye, he groaned and instantly wished he hadn't, then fished into his top left pocket and pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. "What happened?" asked Ricky as he held his head.

"I think you might have had a bit too much to drink last night," Genzo commented.

"Seeing how I can't remember much of anything, which includes parts of the fight… I'm going to have to disagree with you," said Ricky with another groan. He sat up and glanced at the older man. "I see you're not quite done yet," Ricky pointed out as he glanced at the bottle in Genzo's hand.

"This?" questioned Genzo as he held up the bottle of sake. "I was coming up here to pay my respects to an old friend."

"Oh," Ricky realized as he glanced at the grave nearby. "I was wondering why I woke up here. This must be Bellemere's grave. I'm guessing you don't have any idea what I did last night then?"

"I was actually going to ask you that," Genzo replied, "You seem to have acquired something in your drunken capers last night."

Ricky glanced at the golden ring around his neck. "Its real gold," Ricky observed. "Maybe I can sell it… it's bound to be worth something…" Ricky sat there for a moment, then he noticed Genzo glance at the grave marker in front of him.

Ricky slowly stood up and stared down at the marker. "Bellemere…" Ricky said to the marker. "I might have never met you… but you raised an incredibly violent, but amazing girl. You'd be proud of her. Now that Arlong's gone I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure she draws that map of hers."

"Bellemere," said Genzo as he walked up next to Ricky and stared at the marker. "You're daughters have really grown up," Genzo said to the marker. "Every time I see them, they remind me of you. From now on, thanks to this strange boy standing next to me… I think that everyone is going to be living their lives to the fullest. We almost had to give up everything. But from now on we can laugh from the bottom of our hearts!"

"**Hey, there's no proscuitto melon here,**" came Luffy's voice as he wandered over, still eating some meat from last night.

"Luffy?" questioned Ricky, "Are you still eating?"

"Yeah," said Luffy happily. "How'd you get up here…" then he noticed the grave they were standing in front of, "a grave, did somebody die?"

"Yes someone died," Genzo answered, "A long time ago."

"Oh really?" Luffy replied. "Well, allow me to express my conveniences… wait… my sincere compliments… no… uh… darkest combolences?"

"It's 'my deepest condolences'," Ricky corrected him as he calmly placed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, those," Luffy agreed.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you two," said Genzo, as he glanced at Luffy, "Nami is going to be sailing off with you pirates. And I know that it's going to be a dangerous voyage. If anything happens to Nami they'll never be able to find your body."

"I wouldn't do anything…" Luffy began to say.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Genzo shouted at Luffy, causing him to choke on the bones in his mouth.

"I understand," Luffy answered.

"And you," Genzo continued as he turned to Ricky and glared at him. "If you do anything to hurt Nami… I'll kill you."

Ricky stared at Genzo for a moment, then nodded, apparently the scarred old man was assuming the over-protective father role. "As long as I'm around, I'll make sure Nami stays safe. You have my word."

"Good," Genzo replied. "But you know… I'd probably feel better about it if you took that ring off of your neck."

Ricky shrugged and took the ring off of his neck. "Luffy, how much do you think I could get for this?"

"I don't know," Luffy answered.

"Oh, right," Ricky realized, "It's too early in the morning for me to think straight. That's probably the only reason I asked you."

**-x-**

**Setting off with a Smile**

**-x-**

"Hmph, you're no fun," Nojiko said as she sat down next to Chabo on the steps to her house.

"Whaddaya mean?" asked Chabo.

"I thought you'd be upset that this didn't happen in time to save your father," Nojiko explained.

"I thought that at first," Chabo replied. "But then I realized that regrets are a waste of time."

"Cheeky boy," Nojiko teased him as she reached out and pinched the village boy's cheek.

"Ow ow!" Chabo complained, "Why are you pinching me? What did I do?"

"I was all set to pick on you again," Nojiko sighed.

"You're doing a good job of it already!" Chabo snapped in indignation. "You tattooed meanie!"

"Hehehe," Nojiko laughed, "Being a meanie's fine by me."

**-x-**

"Is it gone?" asked Nami. She was lying shirtless on her chest on a bed in Dr. Nako's Office. Dr. Nako managed to remove the Arlong Fishman Pirates tattoo Nami had on her shoulder. All that was left was a scar.

"Not completely," the doctor confessed. "You'll always have a scar. That's how it is with tattoos."

"It'll never be completely gone…" said Nami. She thought back to when she had first gotten the tattoo. It was a tattoo signifying that she was a member of Arlong's Pirate Crew. Nami had come home crying, she wasn't really a member of Arlong's crew, but they had still branded her. She didn't want anyone to see it. Years later, Nojiko had gotten a large intricate tattoo of her own. Nojiko told Nami that she was just like her now. Seeing her sister with a tattoo like the one she had cheered Nami up.

"Doctor, I want to get a new tattoo…" Nami eventually said. Dr. Nako looked surprised that Nami wanted a new tattoo after what they had just gone through to get rid of the old one.

"Here," Nami pointed to the scar that was on her shoulder. She also handed him a paper with the design she wanted.

**-x-**

The celebration continued for a few more days the Straw Hat Pirates were the center of attention. Luffy kept on eating, Usopp entertained the people with stories and songs, Sanji flirted with more women that could be considered legal, and at one point Zoro managed to out drink three people at once. Yosaku was also a big hit, and after getting drunk he taught Luffy a basket dance where he put chopsticks up his nose and danced while holding a basket. Everyone was happy to be finally free of Arlong and his fishmen pirates, while the Straw Hats were all just happy to celebrate.

After getting drunk last night, Ricky opted not to drink any more. Now he was sitting on the shore of Commi Island near the Going Merry, he dug up all of his treasure and was now sorting it out. There was an enormous sack that held a lot of gold, bills, notes, and valuables on one side of him, on the other side was a smaller sack that contained mostly gems.

Ricky had also managed to find the sack of gems that Arlong had tried to take from him. He had all ten of them in a small sack at his side.

Ricky added some gold and bills to his smaller sack and didn't seem surprised when Johnny walked up from behind.

"You want something?" questioned Ricky.

"You're a murderer with a price on your head," Johnny stated.

"That's right," Ricky replied, "what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Johnny answered. "You may be a murderer, but you also saved this island. What you did for these people is worth more than one hundred million berries. You and the rest of your crew probably saved the East Blue, in thanks of what you've done, I won't tell Marine Headquarters about your existence. They can find out on their own."

"I see," said Ricky, he fished into his top left pocket and pulled out Johnny's sunglasses and tossed them over his shoulder to the bounty hunter, "I think you've earned these back then."

Johnny bent down and picked up his sunglasses and put them back on. "Do me a favor," Ricky instructed him, as he stood up and picked up the smaller sack of treasure, "That sack contains well over a billion berries worth of treasure, make sure the people of the island get it."

Ricky walked off with his sack which contained two hundred million berries worth of gems, gold, and bills, as well as the small sack which had another one hundred million berries worth of gems, then he boarded the Going Merry and descended down into the men's quarters to find a place to store his treasure.

This left Johnny alone on the beach with about one billion eight hundred million berries worth of treasure. With a considerable amount of effort, the bounty hunter managed to drag the huge sack of treasure into Cocoyashi Village.

**-x-**

That night, while everyone continued to celebrate, Nami was in Bellemere's house, she'd changed into a white t-shirt and a short black skirt. She'd gotten her treasure back and had put all one hundred million berries in a large sack which she was leaving behind. A note had been attached to the sack, _**I'm leaving this behind, it belongs to the village – Nami**_

Nami sat in a chair next to the table and stared at the map of Commi Island that she had drawn back when she was ten. Now that Arlong was gone, she was finally free to draw her map of the world, just like Bellemere had always encouraged her. Even now, Nami could feel Bellemere watching over her.

"_Well Bellemere, we finally made it," _Nami thought, _"it took eight long years but we're finally free, the village, and me. It's just like you told us when we were children, 'be brave and smile and nothing will be able to stop you'. It's so true. Arlong's gone and now everybody is so happy to be free. And me, I'm finally gonna leave this island, but don't worry, I'll be okay, I'm going with good, strong people. And this last map is all I have left to remind me, but none of that really matters any more, right? Cause now, I'll start again, and every map I draw will be for me and nobody else. This time when I see the world it will be with all of my friends. You know that's what I've always wanted. Anyway, I'm just trying to say goodbye because I don't know if I'll be back. I'm going now, okay?"_

Nami walked to the door and left the house, with Bellemere's spirit finally at rest, she was free to do whatever she wanted and pursue her dreams.

**-x-**

Eventually the day for the departure finally came, the villagers were gathered at the dock and the Straw Hats were all boarding the ship. They had loaded the ship up with all the supplies they'd need and were ready to set off.

Johnny and Yosaku bid their farewells to the Straw Hats. "We're going to go back to being Bounty Hunters," said Yosaku. "Thank you for everything, Brother Luffy!"

"We're going to say goodbye here," Johnny continued. "Hopefully we'll see you again."

"Okay, you guys take care," Luffy called out.

"You too," the bounty hunters replied before heading off. They were going to set sail a little bit later.

Luffy, Ricky, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji were all on board the ship. But someone was noticeably missing. "Hmm… she's not here yet," Usopp commented as he searched the crowd for any signs of their navigator.

"Maybe she's not coming," Zoro suggested.

"Wait, what do you mean Miss. Nami's not coming?" Sanji exclaimed. "You said something mean to her again, didn't you? You're getting in the way of my and Miss. Nami's love!"

"Since Arlong's gone she has no reason to be a pirate anymore," Usopp reasoned, "Maybe she'll be happier if she stayed here?"

"WHAT ABOUT_ MY_ HAPPINESS?" Sanji demanded. "If Miss. Nami doesn't get onboard, I LOSE 98.72 PERCENT OF MY REASON TO BE HERE!"

"That's one of those things that'll make you seem like a pervert," Ricky pointed out. "Don't you have a dream or something?"

"89.99 PERCENT!" Sanji corrected himself.

"Well… I suppose it'd make you feel better if I told you that she _is _coming," Ricky informed him. "She said she needed to get something."

"WOOOHOOO!" Sanji cheered as he started doing his version of the happy-dance. "NOW MISS. NAMI AND I CAN BE TOGETHER!"

"Hey," said Luffy as noticed Sanji doing the happy-dance and remembered something, "I couldn't find any prosciutto melon!"

**-x-**

"What?" questioned Genzo, "One hundred million berries, she left all the money?" Apparently, Nojiko had found the treasure Nami had left at her house.

"She left all of it in our house with a letter," Nojiko explained.

"She's not even going to take some of it?" asked Dr. Nako. "But she worked so hard to get it! The red haired kid already left behind plenty of treasure for us."

"She'll steal more," Nojiko replied, "That's what her letter said. There's no changing her mind once it's made up."

"That girl," said Genzo, "she didn't even give us a chance to thank her."

"**SET SAIL NOW!**" came a loud shout as Nami came running through town toward the port.

"I don't get it, why is she running?" Usopp wondered.

"She said to set sail," Luffy stated.

"Then that's what we'll do," Ricky agreed. "Usopp, show Sanji the yard and how to drop the sails. If he's gonna be on this ship, he has to know how it works. Zoro, raise the anchor."

"Don't tell me she's going to leave without giving us a chance to thank her or say goodbye," said Genzo as he watched Nami sprinting closer.

The main sail of the Going Merry was dropped and the anchor was pulled up, the ship slowly began to pull away from the dock.

"Stop, Nami!" called out one of the villagers. "At least let us say goodbye!"

"Wait Nami!" Genzo exclaimed as he fought through the crowd in an attempt to keep Nami from getting away. "You can't just leave like this!"

"Are you sure we should let her go like this?" Sanji asked Luffy.

"Not my decision," said Luffy, "she does things her own way."

"Nami!" the villagers exclaimed as Nami darted through the crowd and dodged the people as they tried to hold her back. The villagers were too caught up with her leaving to notice her busy hands. Nami reached the dock and ran right passed Nojiko and Dr. Nako, then lunged from the dock and landed on the railing of the Going Merry. **TMP!**

Ricky grinned as Nami jumped off of the railing and landed on the deck of the Going Merry, Nami raised her white t-shirt up to about chest level, causing a large assortment of over forty wallets to drop down onto the deck.

"Hey my wallets gone!" one of the villagers noticed.

"Mine's gone too!"

"So is mine!"

"Thanks a bunch, take care, everybody!" Nami called out to the crowd as the Going Merry sailed off, there was no stopping her now.

"Why you…" growled Genzo.

"YOU LITTLE THIEF!"

"Nice job," Ricky commented with a grin.

"She hasn't changed one bit," Usopp muttered.

"Is she gonna betray us again?" Zoro wondered.

"Way to go, Miss. Nami!" Sanji cheered while Luffy just laughed.

"You little thief! Come back here! Give us back our wallets!"

But then the shout turned to well wishes. "Come back soon! Take care! Thank you!"

"_Bellemere, I'm off,"_ Nami thought.

"Hey kid!" Genzo called out. "Don't forget your promise!"

Ricky and Luffy glanced at each other then Luffy gave Genzo a thumbs up sign while Ricky nodded.

"BYE EVERYONE!" Nami shouted to the villagers, "I'LL MISS YOU! TAKE CARE!"

"Hehehehe, I can't believe her," Nojiko laughed. "My sister sure is something. Be safe Nami." Genzo laughed as he sat down next to Dr. Nako.

"Take a look at this," said Dr. Nako as he handed Genzo a piece of paper. "That's her new tattoo."

"What's this supposed to be?" Genzo wondered as he stared at the blue design. It was a pinwheel with four fins, on the top one was a tangerine with a single leaf.

"It's a tangerine… and a pinwheel," Dr. Nako explained.

"Hey Genzo, where's your pinwheel?" asked Nojiko. The pinwheel that usually adorned his purple hat was no longer there.

"Heh," Genzo chuckled, "I won't need it any more." The pinwheel was currently spinning beside Bellemere's grave. The reason Genzo had worn the pinwheel to begin with was because of Nami. When she was little, his scary appearance caused her to cry whenever she saw him. In order to get Nami to smile, Genzo put a pinwheel on his hat and wore it from that point on. That cheered Nami up and she'd laugh whenever she saw him.

The Straw Hat Pirates sailed off again in search of adventure and their dreams. They were planning on heading to the Grand Line, but first they had to make one last stop.

**-x-**

And the Arlong Arc is over!

As promised, next chapter will contain Ricky's origin. His former pirate crews, what happened during his time in the Grand Line, how he lost his eye, how he found the Devil's Eye, and what the Devil's Eye can and can't do will all be explained. The answers to all of these questions can actually be found in the chapters I've already done. I planted numerous hints throughout the story, some better than others.

Next chapter Ricky starts to explain the Origin of a Demon.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	41. Chapter 40

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person, he also goes by Jack.

**The Origin of a Demon:**

**-x-**

The Straw Hat Pirates were once again sailing in open waters. Ricky was sitting back against the central mast staring up at the clouds when Nami came over and sat down next to him. "So…" Nami prompted.

"So?" Ricky repeated.

"I told you my story," Nami explained. "Now it's your turn." That seemed to get everyone else's attention because Usopp, Sanji, and even Luffy turned and glanced at them. Zoro didn't because he was off to the side sleeping.

"Do I have to?" asked Ricky.

"Yes," Nami answered firmly.

"Fine," Ricky conceded. "Just let me get something."

"You mean this?" asked Nami as she held out the folded up the wanted poster Ricky had stolen from Johnny and Yosaku.

"I should have seen that coming," Ricky commented as he took the poster from Nami.

"So are you really going to tell us?" questioned Usopp, who decided to give up on pretending to be doing something else.

"Yeah," Ricky answered as he slowly unfolded the wanted poster and glared down at it for a moment.

"This is, or was, me…" Ricky explained as he held up the poster of 'The Demon' Red Eye. It was a typical wanted poster on the bottom β 100,000,000 was written. But what was strange about it was that there was no picture, just a black silhouette and a red eye. Below the 'picture' it said _"Picture Unavailable"_."I wasn't the friendliest pirate back then. I killed anyone and anything that came near me so the Marines never got a good picture. They tried offering me money but gave up when I developed a habit of killing their messenger. Actually… I'm getting off track. It would be better to start at the beginning, back when I was still a relatively innocent kid."

"That's usually the best way to tell a story," said Usopp as he came over and sat in front of Ricky. Sanji was off to the side tending to the three tangerine trees that had recently been planted on the ship for Nami. Luffy was sitting up on the Sheep's head and no one could tell if he was listening or not. An occasional snore came from the sleeping swordsman.

Ricky shrugged and restarted his story. "Ever since I heard about Gold Roger's treasure the One Piece, I wanted to find it. Not to keep it for myself, just to see what it was. I dreamed of becoming a legendary treasure hunter and finding the legendary treasure. My mother died when I was still a little kid so I was raised by my Aunt who ran a tavern. We had a lot of weird people going through there telling weird stories and it was through the tavern that I met my best friend."

Luffy looked over his shoulder and smiled, "I heard about all the weird people that went through and went there to hear their stories."

"Our similar interests resulted in us growing really close," Ricky continued, "We're not real brothers but over the years that hardly mattered. Then we met 'Red Haired' Shanks, he and his crew used our island as their base of operations for a year or so. He always told amazing pirate stories and had amazing treasures with him. But it was back on the day when Luffy ate the Gum Gum Fruit that I first realized I had 'powers' of my own."

"What do you mean?" asked Nami.

"I don't know exactly," Ricky confessed. "For some reason I can sense treasure, meaning things of material wealth. I get this weird feeling in my stomach whenever treasure is nearby, it gets stronger depending on how big, valuable, or close it is. When Luffy found the Gum Gum Fruit I sensed a strange energy coming from it. I tried to stop him from eating it but he did anyway and ended up made out of rubber and unable to swim. I was always amazed at the treasures Shanks and his pirates had with them and I often swindled members of his crew out of their treasure so I could get my hands on some of it. Usopp's father Yasopp couldn't hold his liquor and was my favorite target. After seeing the Devil Fruit that Luffy ate and some of the other things that Shanks had with him, I realized what kind of things were out there in the world. I vowed to find the most amazing treasure in the world, the One Piece."

"At least that's what got me started," Ricky continued, "After that day, Luffy's grandpa took Luffy and me to live with a gang of mountain bandits. Their leader acted as our adoptive mother, she took a special interest in me and helped me perfect my sense so that I can get an accurate guess of how much something is worth when I'm close enough. When I come across a large treasure it gets to the point where it just pulls me to it. That's how I could sense the treasure on Don Krieg's ship. I knew it was incredibly valuable because I sensed it from on our ship when they went passed."

"And that's how you knew where to find the treasure on Gaimon's Island," Nami reasoned.

"Umhm," Ricky answered, "But back to the story. While we were being raised by mountain bandits we met our older brother, Portgas D. Ace. He's twenty and he's really strong. Ace wanted to form his own pirate crew so I left my village with him when I was fifteen. Luffy and Ace both agreed to set off when they were seventeen, but I decided that I was going to leave early and then come back to get Luffy three years later. That way I could keep them both out of trouble. We set off on January 1st three years ago."

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part I-**

A fifteen year old Ricky was standing near the dock at the harbor of Fuschia Village. He stood at five foot seven and wore a black vest over a red t-shirt, black pants, black steel soled boots, and a red belt that had the sheath of _Akaikyuuketsuki _attached to it. Ricky had two big hazel eyes and long red hair that was coming out from under a black skull cap. Ricky held a sack filled with food and supplies over his shoulder.

Next to Ricky stood his older brother and current captain: Portgas D. Ace. Ace looked a lot like Luffy and would make some people think that they were actually real brothers. He had messy black hair and black eyes, but his facial features, such as the shape of his nose and eyes, made him look a lot more serious, and unlike Luffy, Ace had freckles on his face. At age seventeen, Ace stood at six foot one and wore an opened black shirt that showed off his muscular physique, black shorts, and short black boots. He wore a slanted belt around his waist with a knife in a green sheath at his side and had a backpack on his back. Ace wore a red ruby necklace around his neck and an orange hat on his head, the hat a band of rubies around it and two faces on the front one was smiling, the other was frowning. Two long orange side straps went down from Ace's hat and met at Ace's chest with a bull's skull pendant keeping them together.

Also at the port stood a fourteen year old Luffy, who wore a red sleeveless shirt with the work 'taka' and a little bird on the front. He had his signature straw hat on head and a few bandages on his face. Makino, Woop Slap, and some mountain bandits had come to see them off.

"Yeah, well bye Luffy," Ace said to his brother, "We're heading out before you."

"Well when I set out three years from now I'll become stronger too!" Luffy assured him.

Makino hugged Ricky, "Be careful," she warned him. "I know I can't stop you from going, your mother had the same adventurous spirit that you do. Please stay safe and don't get into too much trouble."

"Don't worry Aunt Makino," Ricky reassured her, "The reason I'm going is to keep _Ace_ out of trouble."

Ricky turned to Luffy and smiled at him, "I'll see you in three years bro," Ricky reminded him.

"Yup," Luffy happily agreed, "I'll let you join my pirate crew. Just be careful of the sea monster out in the harbor."

"Hah-ha," Ricky laughed, "Don't worry, we can take it."

"I know _that_," Luffy agreed, "I just want it to still be there when I leave. I want a piece of it."

"I'll take it easy on him then," Ricky agreed.

Ricky turned and reluctantly faced the mayor, "Goodbye Mayor."

"I don't know what I'm gonna do now that you two are leaving," said Woop Slap. "You were always the good one. Now I'm stuck with rubber boy."

"Hey!" Luffy protested.

"In that case, here's your wallet back," Ricky offered with a sheepish grin as he held out Woop Slap's wallet.

"At least I won't have to worry about being pick-pocketed," muttered the old man.

"Bye everybody!" Ricky called out as he and Ace boarded their sailboat, it was small and had a red and white striped sail, but for the two of them it was good enough. Ace waved and Ricky shot everyone a foxy grin as they pushed off from the port and floated out to the harbor.

"So… where to?" Ace inquired.

Ricky reached into his right pants pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. "I managed to win this off of some drunk pirate in a game of cards two years ago," Ricky explained. "It's my very first treasure map, and it says that the treasure's here in the East Blue."

"Cool, we'll go find it," Ace decided.

"But before we do that…" Ricky said, "I have some business to attend to if you don't mind."

Ace smiled and stepped back while Ricky walked to the bow of the ship and stared out at the water in front of them. **SPLOOSH! "RAAAAAAAHHHHH!" **The water rose in front of their boat and the sea monster from all those years ago rose up out of the water.

Rather than be intimidated, Ricky smiled up at it, "I've been expecting you," Ricky informed it as the giant sea serpent glared down at him. Ricky reached to his side and drew his curved red sword and got in a fighting stance, "WELL… COME ON THEN!"

"GRRRAAAAHHHH!" the monster roared as it lunged towards the boat, **Skish!** Ricky leapt up off of the deck and up into the air, the monster was caught off guard when Ricky lashed out his steel-soled boot and kicked it in the jaw, **THWAK! **The sea monster's head snapped upward and it flailed around as Ricky flipped backwards and landed on the bow of his boat.

The boat tipped and dunked downward, but Ace jumped up and then came down on the stern, **TMP!** Ace's weight on the back of the boat caused the front to launch up out of the water and sent Ricky flying up into the air, "Red Blade… VOLCANO!" **SLA-SLISH! **Ricky spun around in mid air and slashed the side of the sea monster's face with his blood red sword. The monster's blood was spilled and dripped down into the water.

**SPLISH! SPLOOOSH! **Ricky came down and landed in the water and was followed shortly by the big body of the monster sea serpent as it hit the water. "That was for Shanks," Ricky told the barely conscious monster. "Just wait until Luffy comes through, you won't know what hit you."

Ricky sheathed his short and swam back to the boat and pulled himself onto it. "That was refreshing," he commented.

"I thought you told Luffy you'd take it easy on it," Ace replied.

"I _did_ take it easy on it," Ricky insisted. "If I hadn't held back, we would've had days' worth of monster meat."

Ace picked up the map that Ricky had left on the boat and unrolled it, "Maybe you were onto something," Ace remarked, "the island your treasure's on is about a week's travel from here."

Ricky walked over and peered at the chart, "But those two islands are on the way," he pointed out. "It'll take about two days to reach the first one and another three days to reach the second. We came prepared and have some food with us, and we can stop there to get food and supplies along the way."

Ace nodded, "Once we leave the harbor, adjust our course to due south and let's begin our journey."

"Sure thing, Captain," Ricky agreed. "Soon the whole world will know the names of Pirate Captain Portgas D. Ace and Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire."

"…" Ace was silent and looked thoughtful, "We both need nicknames. Luffy's already got 'Straw Hat' going for him. The best I could have is 'Demon Spawn'."

"Typically pirates don't come up with their own nicknames," Ricky reasoned. "But you do have a point. We'll just have to see what happens."

**-One Week Later-**

"Well… we're here," Ace announced as they pushed their sailboat through the shallow water around the island and up onto the beach.

Ricky stood on the beach and stared at the island, the most noticeable feature was the big mountain in the middle of it. Ricky closed his eyes and reached out with his treasure sense… and he felt it. "So is the treasure," Ricky informed Ace. From what Ricky could tell, it was incredibly valuable. It also felt… _familiar _somehow, like he'd sensed something like it before.

"According to the map, the treasure's in the middle of the island," Ricky stated, "My Treasure Sense agrees with it. I think we should head for that big mountain over there and see what we can find."

"Let's climb it," Ace decided. "I should be fun, and it'll give us a better view of the island."

"Sounds good," Ricky agreed, he grabbed his sack of supplies from the boat and the two of them headed for the mountain. Having lived with mountain bandits for a big portion of their lives, Ace and Ricky had no problem climbing the tall mountain. It was when they reached the top that they encountered a problem.

"I'm starting to think this isn't a mountain," Ace commented. He and Ricky stared down INTO THE MOUTH OF A VOLCANO! "Let's get out of here before it erupts and burns us alive."

Ricky frowned, "You're not gonna believe this… but it feels like the treasure is _inside_ the volcano!" Ricky and Ace stared down at the molten lava inside of the volcano, they both blinked in surprise when they spotted a small stone island in the middle of the lake of lava. On a pillar on the island was a metal treasure chest.

"That explains why the treasure's still here," Ace reasoned. "Not many people would wanna throw their lives away by diving into an active volcano for a single treasure chest."

"Well my first treasure hunt as a treasure hunt isn't going to go down as a failure because I chickened out," Ricky resolved. "I'll get it somehow."

"If you can think of a way to get in their without getting deep-fried, I'd love to hear it," Ace replied.

Ricky stared at the metal chest and looked thoughtful, eventually he said, "I've got an idea." He pulled opened his sack of supplies and pulled out two long lengths of rope. "It'll be risky, but if we can run one rope across the mouth of the volcano, then we can tie the other one to the middle of it and use it to lower ourselves onto that island. Once we've got the treasure, we'll climb back up and get out."

"That could work," Ace agreed, "but we'll have to be quick. It could erupt at any time. I don't want it to happen while we're in there."

"Take this around to the other side of the opening," Ricky instructed Ace as he handed him one end of the rope, then he handed him a long metal stake, "Use this to anchor it into the side of the volcano." Ace nodded and went around to the other side, pulling the rope along with him. While he did, Ricky took the other end of the rope and tied an identical stake to the one he'd given Ace to the end of it, he drove the stake deep into the volcano, then climbed back up to the top and watched as Ace drove his end into his side of the lava filled mountain.

The rope now went across the mouth of the volcano and was secured on both sides. Ace came up to the top and gave Ricky a thumbs up, signifying that his end was secure.

Ricky nodded and tied the second rope around is waist before he grabbed onto the rope going across the volcano and pulled himself onto it. He hung from the rope over the boiling sea of lava and slowly began to climb hand-over-hand to he middle of the rope. The heat from the volcano caused Ricky to break out into a sweat and when he finally reached the middle of the rope and was above the stone island, his red t-shirt, black vest, and the brim of his black skull cap were completely soaked with sweat.

"It's a volcano," Ricky reasoned to himself, "I didn't exactly expect it to be cold inside." Ricky took a deep breath then swung himself up and wrapped his legs around the rope he was holding onto. He kept one arm fully wrapped around the rope while he used the other one to untie the other rope from around his waist and tied it to the first one. After checking and double checking to make sure that his knot was secure, Ricky dropped the second rope and was pleased to see that the other end reached the stone island down in the volcano.

Ricky gave Ace a thumbs up sign, to signify that everything was going according to plan, then maneuvered himself around and began to climb down to second rope to the small stone island surrounded by the sea of lava. **TMP! **Ricky let go of the rope and dropped down onto the stone island. He took a moment to wipe the sweat off of his forehead, he had thought it was hot before climbing over the volcano, inside the volcano it was even hotter.

Ricky looked up and saw Ace on the rope going across the mouth of the volcano, Ricky decided to forgo waiting and approached the metal chest and the stone pillar it was on. Ricky reached into his left pocket and pulled out something made of black leather that looked like a wallet, he opened it and pulled out two metal lock picks and began picking the lock on the metal treasure chest. **Click!** **TMP!** Ace dropped down onto the stone island just as the lock popped opened.

"So what is it?" Ace asked.

Ricky opened the treasure chest and gasped, "It's a Devil Fruit," he answered. Now Ricky knew why the treasure felt familiar, it felt similar to the Gum Gum Fruit that Luffy had eaten years ago. But this fruit was a lot different, it was orange and looked like a pineapple.

"What do you suppose it is?" Ace inquired. Ricky reached out and grabbed the Devil Fruit and was surprised to feel that it was warm.

"It's warm… maybe something having to do with fire?" Ricky suggested. **THOOM!** The stone island they were on started to shake and the lava around it started to bubble. "CRAP! THE VOLCANO'S ERUPTING! WE'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!"

"We won't be able to climb that rope in time!" Ace realized, he snatched the Devil Fruit away from Ricky and took a bite, **CHOMP!** **GULP! **"Ugghh… it doesn't taste very good."

"Feel any different?" questioned Ricky, the lava was sloshing around them, he hoped Ace knew what he was doing.

Ace concentrated, **FWOOSH! **HIS FIST SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAME! "Whoa!" Ace exclaimed as the flames on his hand burned up the remains of the fruit, "I've got fire powers!"

"Yeah, BUT MAGMA BURNS FIRE!" Ricky pointed out. "WE'RE SCREWED!"

"Not if I can help it," Ace resolved, "quick, get on my back."

Seeing no other option, Ricky did as he was told and climbed onto his older brother's back. **FWOOSH!** Ace's legs burst into flames as the lava started to rise, **FWOOOM!** Suddenly they rocketed up into the air, propelled by the fire Ace's body was producing.

"HOLY CRAP!" Ricky shouted as they shot out of the erupting volcano followed by the sea of lava.

"There go all of my supplies," Ricky muttered as he watched the lava go over the mouth of the volcano and burn up the sack he'd left there.

"We're alive, we can buy more," Ace resolved as the flames on his legs went out and they dropped down towards the beach. **THUD!** Ace and Ricky went crashing down onto the sand and panted. "Let's… get out of… here…"

"You can't swim any more," Ricky reminded him, "get in the boat, I'll push us off. It'll have the positive benefit of washing the sweat off of my clothes."

Ace nodded and got on the sailboat while Ricky pushed it away from the shore, after submerging himself in the water, Ricky pulled himself up onto the boat and sat on the deck. "You alright?" Ricky asked. "Sorry you had to eat that, we could've sold it and made a fortune. Now you'll never be able to swim."

"Don't worry about it," Ace replied. "I like it."

"I think what you ate was the Flame Flame Fruit," Ricky informed him. "It's a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allows you to turn you body into, and control, fire."

"This'll make things easier once I learn how to use it properly," Ace reasoned.

"And as an added benefit, I've got a nickname for you," Ricky told him. "'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace."

"Fire Fist," Ace repeated, he looked thoughtful, then smiled. "I like it."

"So where to now, Captain Fire Fist?" Ricky inquired.

"Wherever the wind takes us," Ace resolved. They sailed off into the horizon and away from the island in search of adventure.

**-End Origin Flashback part I-**

"You mean Ace ate a Devil Fruit?" questioned Luffy.

"Yup," Ricky replied. "We stayed on the next island we found for a few days and Ace learned how to use his powers. We wandered into town and found that it was being attacked by some pirate called Wild Joe. He used to have a bounty of two million berries. Ace roasted him while I took out the small fries."

Ricky reached into his top left pocket and pulled out a few things, his sunglasses, a deck of cards, and the same black leather 'wallet' from the flashback. "This is my tool case," Ricky explained, he opened it to reveal metal lock picks and a wide selection of different tools. "One of my hobbies is gem crafting." Ricky reached into his bottom left pocket and pulled out a small sack, he handed it to Nami, "These are some of the gems that we found on that island."

Nami had paid Ricky back for the three million berries that he had given her with the three million berries worth of gems that he had found on Gaiman's island. She didn't want to be in anyone debt now that she was free of Arlong.

Nami dumped the contents of the pouch out in front of her and, **KA-CHING!** Nami's eyes shined and seemingly reflected the wide variety of glittering gems that was on the deck in front of her. They had all been expertly polished. Nami couldn't even form a coherent sentence as she marveled at what Ricky had turned the rough-looking gem's they'd found in the cave on Gaimon's island into.

"Whoa!" Usopp exclaimed, "You could sell these and make a fortune!"

"Sometimes I do," Ricky admitted. "Other times I'll make them into jewelry. Anyway, that's what I do with some of the treasure I find." Ricky scooped the gems up and put them back in the pouch, bringing Nami out of her gem-induced trance in the process. He put the gems, his sunglasses, and his tool case back in their respective pockets.

"So what happened with you and Ace?" asked Luffy. He'd joined Nami and Usopp in front of Ricky, he already knew about Ricky's gem-crafting talents, but what he didn't know was what happened to his two older brothers on their voyage. He was eager to hear more.

Ricky picked up the deck of cards that he hadn't put back in his pocket, he casually shuffled them and then pulled one out. Without even looking at it, he turned the card around and showed it to Luffy. It was the Ace of Spades. "Ace formed his pirate crew."

**-x-**

**Spade:**

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part II-**

"So where to next?" Ace inquired. "We'd explored the East Blue for long enough without causing too much trouble."

"Yeah right!" Ricky retorted. "Because of you, Usagi and his band of Rabbit Pirates quit pirating and became monks!"

Ace shrugged, "The interrupted my meal."

"Speaking of 'meals'," said Ricky, "This one guy at that bar we went to two islands back mentioned a restaurant. It's called the Baratie and it's in the middle of the ocean. He said the food there was the best he'd ever had, but the cooks are kind of rough and don't care for pirates."

"You got money?" Ace asked. "Maybe if they think we're paying customers they'll let us in. The idea of lots of great food sounds promising."

Ricky nodded, "Usagi and his men gave up all their worldly possessions to become monks. I took their treasure and some supplies. I've got five million berries."

"Then let's go," Ace decided. "You can find this Baratie place, right?"

"Its west of here, I'd say a day or two away," Ricky explained. "I should be able to find it." Ace nodded and they set their course for the Baratie the Ocean-Going Restaurant.

**-Two Days Later-**

"See, there it is," Ricky pointed out as he spotted the fish-shaped restaurant off in a distance. "I told you I'd find it."

"Then let's go eat," Ace resolved, "I'm hungry."

"You're _always_ hungry," Ricky reminded him. He tossed Ace an opened black t-shirt, ever since Ace had gotten his Devil Fruit Powers, he no longer wore a shirt. "Put that on or they'll make the 'no shirt, no service' claim."

Ace tugged the shirt on and they docked their sailboat alongside the restaurant and climbed out. "We're not alone," Ricky pointed out. Ace and Ricky turned and saw a man standing in the boat next to theirs.

The man appeared to be in his twenties and had brown hair and a goatee, he wore beige pants, black boots, and a tight sleeveless white shirt that molded to his muscular frame. The man was eying the two pirates as he pulled a pair of gun holsters off of him and placed them in a box on his boat.

"You two pirates?" the man asked.

"Yes," Ace answered. "I'm Pirate Captain 'Fire Fist' Ace, this is my brother Ricky. Who're you?"

"My name's Hannibal King," the man introduced himself. "I'm a monster hunter."

"A monster hunter?" Ricky repeated.

"That's right," said Hannibal. "I travel the seas and save towns from monster attacks."

"Then why are you in the East Blue?" Ricky inquired. "Dawn Island has a few giant monsters, and there are fishmen in the north-west corner, but other than that there aren't many monsters here."

"I've realized that," Hannibal admitted. "I'm from the North Blue actually, I was exploring the East Blue to see if you had any monster problems I could cash in on. No one's really doing anything about those fishmen, and I'm not suicidal enough to fight them on my own. I came here for something to eat, same as you."

"Would you care to eat with us then?" Ace offered. "As pirates and a monster hunter we'd all probably cause a scene when we go in there. We'll cause less of a panic if we go in together."

"Alright," Hannibal agreed. "You two seem like an interesting pair of pirates."

The three of them headed around the Baratie to the front door, before either Ace or Hannibal could stop him, Ricky darted forward and kicked the door opened. **WHAM!** "Make way for the scourge of the East Blue, 'Fire Fist' Ace!" he called out.

The customers and the waiters all gasped and turned to stare at the three people in the door. Ace's reputation in the East Blue had grown and most of the customers looked intimidated by the two teenage pirates. A bunch of cooks came to the door of the kitchen and glared at the three of them.

"Way to cause a scene," Ace scolded his brother.

"We were going to anyway," Ricky pointed out, "I figured we'd at least make it a good one."

"You bums got money?" asked a three-years-younger Patty as he came out of the kitchen. "No money, no food."

Ricky reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a sack of gold, "Of course we've got money," he replied. "We wouldn't be very good pirates if we didn't. We're only here to eat, get us a table and a lot of food and you won't have any problems while we're here."

"There's a table over there," pointed out a sixteen year old Sanji, he was a little shorter and didn't have his beard or a cigarette in his mouth, but he still wore a suit and a tie, and was still the Assistant Head Chef. "Don't cause any trouble, we'll start on your food."

Ace, Ricky, and Hannibal took their seats at the indicated table. The customers buzzed and whispered about them but they ignored them as the waiter approached and asked what they wanted.

Two hours later, Ricky, Ace, and Hannibal, or 'Han' as he'd asked to be called, had traded stories over the course of the meal. Ricky and Hannibal had long ago finished eating, but the table was piled high with dishes that Ace had cleaned off and there were still more to come. Ricky and Han entertained themselves with a game of cards.

"I was thinking of leaving the East Blue soon," Ace admitted after swallowing the food in his mouth. While he shared Luffy enormous appetite, he had table manners.

"We don't really have a destination in mind though," Ricky added. "We don't want to head for the Grand Line just yet, but figured we could see the other three oceans first."

"For a pirate crew, you guys are kind of lacking," Han pointed out. "Are you looking for crewmates? If I go with you guys, I'll eventually come across monsters of some sort. I haven't been to the Grand Line yet, but if you guys are eventually going there, I'd like to come along."

Ace stopped eating, "You wanna join my pirate crew?" he repeated. Ace looked thoughtful, but then nodded. "I'm not really after anything, just adventure and acknowledgment. If you wanna come along, you're welcome. Two people isn't exactly a pirate crew, but now that there are three of us, this marks the birthplace of the Spade Pirates."

Ricky smiled and put three cards down on the table, the Ace of Spades, the King of Spades, and the Jack of Spades. "We've got the Ace, Han, you're the King, I guess that makes me the Jack."

"Alright, let's go," Ace decided, "I'm done eating."

"Aren't you gonna pay?" asked 'King'.

"I said we _could_ pay," 'Jack' pointed out as he gathered up his cards and slipped them in his pocket, "I never said we would."

"If nothing else, this'll be an interesting trip," Han reasoned as the three Spade Pirates rushed out the door without paying for their large meal. Stopping only briefly for Han to get his guns off of his boat, they boarded Ace and Ricky's sailboat and sailed off.

**-End Flashback part II-**

"I'll say this," came Sanji voice from the tangerine grove, "Ricky, you managed to make three crappy first impressions."

"Three?" Nami repeated. Sanji and Ricky's meeting at the Baratie hadn't been that great. And neither had the one where Ricky was with Ace and King. What was the third?

"We'll get to that later," Ricky told her. "That one doesn't happen for another two years." Ricky casually picked through the deck of cards and pulled out two more cards, he put them on top of the Ace of Spades and turned them over to reveal the King of Spades and Jack of Spades.

Ricky stared down at the Jack of Spades which was in profile view and only showed one eye, "Now I'm a One-Eyed Jack."

Ricky played with the deck in his hands as he continued his story, "As our adventure continued, our crew grew. One day while we were going through a forest in the North Blue, we met our Queen."

Ricky pulled the Queen of Spades out from the deck. **ZIP!** Sanji was instantly sitting on the deck next to Usopp. "What was this Queen of Spades like?"

"Well… like you and I, she didn't exactly make a good first impression," Ricky stated.

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part III-**

"Why are we here again?" Ace asked as he, Ricky, and Han trekked through a thick green forest on an island in the North Blue.

"Some of the villagers mentioned a series of Gargoyle Attacks that stopped about two months back," King answered. He had a shotgun in his hands and a pair of pistols holstered at his waist. "We're trying to find it and get rid of it… if its still here."

"You'd know this if you hadn't fallen asleep while we were eating in that bar," Jack reminded him. "What I wanna know is why we're looking for a gargoyle when the sun hasn't gone down yet. I'm no monster hunter, but aren't they stone during the day?"

"The sun'll go down in an hour," the monster hunter told him. "As a statue it can't defend itself. We'll be able to get rid of it easily. When they're awake, gargoyles are vicious and near impossible to kill. If that monster's in this forest, we've got an hour before our lives get a lot more complicated."

**Shwwooooo!** There was a whistling sound and three arrows came flying out from the trees in front of them.** CHUNK! CHUNK! FOOSH!** King and Jack were shot dead center in the chest, but Ace's Logia Devil Fruit Powers caused the arrow meant for him to fly right through him.

"Unngghh… too late…" Ricky groaned, things were more complicated already.

"They're laced with something…" Han mumbled, "I'm starting to see spots."

**FWOOSH!** Ace's hands ignited and flames ran up his arms to his shoulders. "SHOW YOURSELF OR I'LL BURN THIS ENTIRE FOREST TO THE GROUND!" Ace shouted out at their invisible attacker. His crew had just been attacked and had been hit by poison arrows.

"Whoa… pretty colors…" Ricky remarked as he dropped to his knees and held his head.

"**You burn this forest down, and your friends will die,"** a feminine voice called out from the trees.

"If I have anything to say about it, you're going with them!" Ace threatened. "If they die, I _will _avenge them!"

"I can't move my arms," Han stated.

"You'd better have an antidote to whatever you poisoned them with!" Ace growled flames came out of his black and rose up into the air, "cause if you don't, you're getting cremated!"

**Skush! Skush!** Footsteps sounded through the forest and the Spade Pirates looked up in surprise as a woman came walking out of the dense trees. She wore a hooded green tank top that hid her facial features, green tights, and dark green almost-black boots. The tights and tank top clung to her and showed that was indeed a healthy young woman. Around her waist she had a dark green belt that had two large brown pouches attached to it, and across her back was a green quiver of arrows. The woman was carrying a bow and had it aimed at Ace.

"I'll give you the antidote if your promise not to destroy my forest," the woman offered.

**THUD!** Han hit the ground and stopped moving. "I vote antidote," Ricky stated, he swayed on his knees and had a faraway look on his face.

"Fine," Ace agreed.

The woman pulled two identical vials filled with a green liquid out from one of the brown pouches at her waist, she tossed one to Ace, "Pull the arrow out and put some of that on the wound," the woman instructed. "If you're fast it'll counter-act the poison."

"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Ace.

**THUD!** Ricky dropped down the ground and laid still. "You don't," the woman admitted, "But they've already lost the ability to move and only have a minute left. You can either trust me, or start digging their graves."

**SHUNK!** Ace pulled the arrow out of King's chest and pulled up his shirt so he could see the wound. Ace opened the vial and poured the green liquid into the wound as he was told.

At the same time, Ricky was rolled over and he stared blankly up at the… purple… hood that the woman who'd shot him was wearing. **Shunk! **His body was numb and he barely felt it when she pulled the arrow out of his chest, then pulled up his red t-shirt and dowsed his arrow-wound with the green antidote.

"If that didn't work, you're in trouble," Ace growled.

"It's working already," the woman replied as she stared down at Ricky. "They're already starting to become more aware of their surroundings. Now they should have the feeling back in their fingers and toes… now their hands and feet… their arms and legs… give it a few more seconds… aaaand they should be fine now."

Jack slowly sat up and stared at the green-clad woman in surprise, "She's good." King sat up and nodded in agreement.

"We're the Spade Pirates," Ricky introduced himself, "the hot head's 'Fire Fist' Ace, our Captain. I'm Jack, and he's King. We didn't mean any harm we were just looking for the gargoyle that the villagers mentioned."

"The gargoyle has been dead for months," the woman told him. "The only things you have to worry about in this forest are wild animals like tigers, bears, and gorillas."

"How do you know?" asked King.

"Because I killed it months ago," she answered, she lowered her green hood and revealed her face. She had short yellow hair that went down passed her ears, green eyes, and looked to be about nineteen. "My name is Olivia Queen, most people call me 'Ollie'. I'm sorry for attacking you, I was just defending my home."

"You live in a forest?" questioned Ricky.

"My father was the mayor of Oak Town," Olivia explained, "that's somewhere east of this forest. A year ago, he was killed by the gargoyle. I spent a month hunting it and eventually caught it in a clearing and shot it in the eye with the same kind of arrow I nearly killed you with."

"You must be a great shot then," Jack reasoned.

"I've studied archery ever since I was old enough to hold a bow," Ollie replied. "I'm the best archer you're ever likely to find."

"That doesn't explain why you're living in a forest and are dressed like Robin Hood," King stated.

"After I killed the gargoyle, town life got really boring," Olivia said. "I craved adventure, so I left the village and began living here in the forest. And I wear the green clothes because they help me blend in with the trees."

"If you crave adventure, why haven't you left this island?" Ricky inquired.

"This is the Age of Piracy," Ollie pointed out, "A girl can't exactly sail around alone. I may be a good shot, but even with a full quiver I wouldn't be able to take out an entire crew of horny savages."

"If you're looking for adventure, why don't you join up with us?" Ace offered. "You're a good shot and you seem to have a fair amount of medical knowledge."

"We're honorable pirates," Ricky added. "We won't lay a hand on you. And you saw how protective our hot-headed captain is, we'll make sure nothing horrible happens to you. Wanna be our Queen of Spades?"

Ollie smiled, "I'd love to."

An hour later, the Spade Pirates were heading for the shore. King and Jack were carrying a large crate between them. "What've you got in here anyway?" Han asked.

"Just a couple of spare outfits, some herbs from the forest, and materials to make more arrows," Ollie answered.

They stopped in front of the Spade Sailboat. "You can't be serious," said Queen. "How'd you even make it from the East Blue to the North Blue in that?"

"Ace can shoot fire out of his arms," Jack explained. "Large columns of fire can be used to give our boat a boost or make a quick turn."

"It'll do for now," Queen resolved. "But we'd better get a shipwright and a bigger ship before we leave the North Blue."

"It's on our 'To Do' list," Ace assured her.

"If any of you three so much as touch me while I'm sleeping," Queen warned them, "I'll shove an arrow so far up your ass that you'll be able to taste what it's coated in."

**-End Flashback part III-**

"SHE SOUNDS AMAZING!" Sanji swooned.

"She sounds unpleasant," Nami disagreed. "She shot you with an arrow, joined your crew, and then threatened to sodomize you."

"As opposed to, turning me over to Buggy the Clown, joining from a lost bet, and then strangling me?" Ricky countered as he added the Queen of Spades to the pile. "She was actually _very _pleasant once you got to know here. I got to know her really well."

"I always thought that arrows were too big and easy to spot," Usopp stated, "I prefer smaller projectiles that could turn out to be anything. But to each his own."

"I'll tell her you said that if we ever meet up with them," Ricky resolved, he picked the Ten of Spades out of the deck and placed it down on the deck in front of him. "While we were trying to find a shipwright we came across Deck. He was a ninja, complete with the black jumpsuit, mask, and stealth to go along with it. But he found out something that someone didn't want him to know, when we found him, he was nearly dead. It took a week for Ollie to patch him up, but once he'd fully recovered, he pledged his loyalty to Ace and became our Scout and Spy." Ricky glanced down at the Royal Flush he had on the deck in front of him.

"We actually found our shipwright before Deck recovered from his injuries," Ricky continued. "It took a lot of swindling, stealing, and treasure hunting on my part, but we found a shipwright and paid him to build us a ship. He did, but when he was done he asked to join our crew so he could look after his ship. We called him Deuce. He fought suing a pair of saw-blades that he could combine into a broadsword."

Ricky placed the Two of Spades down with the other cards he'd set out, then pulled the Three of Spades out of the deck. "Once we had our ship, we left the North Blue and went to the South Blue. That's where we found our cook Treys. He was a master with a knife and usually cooked hibachi style, he used his knives expertly in the kitchen and on the battlefield. He'd either throw smaller knives, or he'd wield a big one like a small sword."

Four of Spades. "He was our hand-to-hand combat expert. We met him on the South Blue's Karate Island. He knew over ten forms of Martial Arts and always wore dark blue gi like that ray fishman from Arlong Park. He was honorable though, Ace beat him in a fight and he agreed to join our crew."

Ricky pulled two cards out of the deck at the same time, Nine of Spades and the Six of Spades. "These two found us actually. They were former marines that attacked us looking to take Ace's head. They fought with the best teamwork I've ever seen but after Ace beat them, they quit the marines and joined our crew."

"Once we were done exploring the South Blue, we went to the West Blue," Ricky said. "That's where we finished off our crew." Ricky pulled out the Five of Spades. "This guy was huge, even bigger than Arlong. He fought with a big double-bladed battle axe and was our ship's powerhouse."

Ricky pulled two more cards out of the deck and then placed the deck down out of the way, he put down the Eight of Spades. "We called this guy Cannonball, he was our Ship Guard and Gunman. He got his nickname because of the unique types of cannonballs he used. He'd basically chain two of them together and would fire them at an enemy ship and completely tear off their central mast so they couldn't go anywhere."

Ricky put down the last card, the Seven of Spades. "I called this guy Lucky. He was this quiet samurai that we met as he was coming back from the Grand Line. He offered to take us to the Grand Line and act as our guide. It had taken a full year to get that crew of thirteen pirates, and since Ace had already made name for himself in the East Blue, North Blue, South Blue, and West Blue, there was only one other place to go. Ace decided that it was finally time to go the Grand Line."

"If you had such a big reputation, why didn't the World Government try to stop you?" asked Sanji.

"They actually offered Ace a position as a Warlord of the Sea," Ricky replied.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy burst out laughing and seemed unable to stop, he rolled around on the deck laughing at the top of his lungs. "ACE! WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That was actually our reaction too," Ricky admitted as he eyed his laughing younger brother. "They took offense to us laughing in their faces and set up a blockade of three marine battleships to keep us from getting to the Grand Line."

"Three ships!" Usopp exclaimed, "What'd you do?"

"We were upset that they hadn't sent more," Ricky answered. "Cannonball took out the main mast of the first one which left it easy pickings for Ace, who torched it. The rest of us split up and raided the other two ships. We were outnumbered fifteen to one, but we still kicked their asses."

"I wonder if they'll try to keep _us _from entering the Grand Line," Luffy wondered once he'd finally stopped laughing at the prospect of _Ace_ working for the World Government.

"When they find out that we took out Arlong, Krieg, and Buggy, they're bound to do something," Ricky reasoned. "With the marines out of the way of the time being, Lucky guided us into the Grand Line. I've seen all the world's oceans, but the Grand Line is the most amazing of all of them. We'd been there a month and a half when Ace seemingly developed a death wish. He seemed intent on facing a man that terrified me."

"Who?" Nami inquired

"Whitebeard," Ricky stated. "He was, and still is, known as the Strongest Pirate in the World. He's one of the Four Emperors and at one time was the rival of the Pirate King Gold Roger."

"Did he find him?" asked Luffy.

"It took us another month and a half of searching, but eventually… he found us."

**-x-**

I know that in Japanese manga, full names are usually written sir name first, then first name, but since I'm American it sounded better to have it first name first and then last name last. Having Han and Ollie's full names the other way around sounded weird to me.

Hannibal King is based off of Hannibal King from Marvel Comics and Olivia Queen is based off of Oliver Queen the Green Arrow from DC Comics. I don't own either of them, but they both had names that suited my purposes and I used their image.

Deca is the root for ten: decagon, decameter. I just replaced the 'a' with a 'k' and it became Deck, not only a play off of ten but a card thing too.

Ricky's origin continues next chapter where he meets the Whitebeard Pirates.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	42. Chapter 41

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Whitebeard Pirates:**

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part IV-**

Twenty-one months before the current storyline started, the Royal Flush Officers of the Spade Pirates were walking on a snow covered island deep in the Grand Line. Ace seemed to be impervious to the cold and was wearing shorts and a sweatshirt with a cape on the back. The cold weather however, _WASN'T_ impervious to Ace, the second 'Fire Fist' set foot on the island it stopped snowing.

King was wearing a long tan trench coat and had a pair of guns strapped to his waist inside of it. On his head he wore a matching tan fedora hat. Queen was wearing a long green coat and her green hood was up, her bow and quiver were strapped to her back but she still seemed to be cold. A seventeen year old Jack was wearing a black cloak with a cape and a black skull cap on his head. His trusty sword _Akaikyuuketsuki _was sheathed at his waist inside the cloak. Ten, being a ninja, usually wore a tight black jumpsuit and a mask that left his mouth uncovered and had two eyeholes that he could see out of but others couldn't see in. Now, he was wearing a hooded cloak to protect him against the cold.

"Why are we here again?" Ollie asked as she trekked through the snow next to Ricky. "I'm freezing my tights off."

"There's someone I want to meet no matter what," Ace answered as he led the group.

"You knew we were going on a winter island, you should've dressed warmer," Ricky pointed out. "Or maybe you should've stayed back on the ship with the others."

"And miss out on the adventure?" questioned Ollie. "Not likely. But I've got a big cup of tea with my name on it when I get back to the ship."

"So where is this guy?" Han inquired.

"If he's still the same as I remember, he's recovering from a hangover somewhere," Ricky answered.

"I checked it out earlier," Deck said. "He and his crew are camped out in the middle of the island. And actually… he _did _appear to be hung-over."

The Five Spade Pirates made their way to the middle of the island and reached a large snow-filled clearing. It was filled with a series of log cabins and there were groups of men huddled around numerous campfires.

A man with a sword stood up and addressed Ace. "So… I hear you want to meet me."

"No that's not what I meant," Ace replied. "My little brother was always bragging about you, the one who saved his life. He told me to thank you if we ever met."

"You're Luffy's... Oh!" 'Red Haired' Shanks exclaimed. "So he had a brother. Thanks for coming and telling me!"

"Actually, he had three brothers," Ricky informed him.

Shanks' eye lit up with recognition, "Ricky! You're a pirate now! That's great!"

"I'm more of a treasure hunter, but yeah," Ricky replied. "I'm the Jack of Spades."

"Won't you join us?" Shanks offered as he motioned to some empty seats around the campfire he'd been sitting at. "How's Luffy doing?"

"He's doing great," Ricky answered. "He's still got another two years or so before he leaves home, but he's gotten a lot stronger."

"**Have you?"** came a voice. Ricky turned to it and saw Benn Beckman sitting there smoking a cigarette. He'd aged a lot over the passed eight years. His once long black hair was now short and gray. His long rifle was leaning against his side.

Ricky flashed a foxy grin as he pulled opened his cloak to reveal his curved sword, "How'd you like to find out for yourself?"

"With your permission Captain, I'd like to engage a member of this rival pirate crew in a friendly spar," Beckman requested as he stood up and held his rifle next to him.

"Do your thing Beckman," Shanks encouraged his First Mate.

"Let's give them some room," Ace decided, he, King, Queen, and Ten backed away to give Jack room to face Benn Beckman of the 'Red Haired' Pirates.

"Before we begin," said Ricky as he stood across from Beckman, "I'd just like to say _thanks_ for giving me a cursed sword that requires a blood sacrifice."

"It requires a blood sacrifice?" questioned Beckman. "Sorry, I didn't know. I guess I should've done some research before giving a dangerous weapon to a child."

"It only works if you give it blood every time you draw it," Ricky explained. "I suppose that's why it's called 'Red Vampire'."

"That does explain why the swordsman I got it from was so easy to beat," Beckman reasoned. "He attacked me from behind but his sword didn't cut me. I defeated him because of that."

"Well, with all due respect," said Ricky, "I plan on using your blood as the sacrifice this time." Ricky immediately rushed at Beckman while holding his sword's handle with both hands. Beckman swung his rifle around and aimed for Ricky's head, **SWOOOSH! **Ricky jumped up clear over the rifle, "Red Blade… LIGHTNING STRIKE!" Ricky changed directions in mid air and flew passed Beckman while lashing out at him with his sword, Beckman dodged to the side and barely avoided the sword strike, **Slik!** The red blade grazed Beckman's cheek and left a small cut there.

But Beckman took it all in stride, he spun around swinging his rifle like a club and connected solidly with Ricky's back. **WHAM!** Ricky went flying across the clearing and slammed down into the snow, **SKOOSH!**

"You still have a lot to learn," Beckman lectured.

"Hah-ha, maybe not as much as you think," Ricky laughed as he staggered back up to his feet. "I'm the Jack of Spades, and I can take a hit… even if it's from you." Ricky readied his sword and once again charged the First Mate of the Red Haired Pirates.

"I see," Beckman commented as he swung his rifle again. **SWOOOSH!** Once again, Ricky jumped clean over the long gun.

"Red Blade… HURRICANE!" Ricky spun around in mid air and slashed his sword, **Slik!** Beckman managed to duck out of the way but Ricky still grazed his left cheek a second time while spinning in the air. **WHAM!** Beckman slammed his rifle into Ricky's face while he was still in mid air and sent him flying. **SKOOSH!** Ricky went crashing down into the snow while Beckman was left with another cut on the left side of his face, giving him an 'x' shaped wound.

"Nice hit," Ricky groaned as he pushed himself up off of the ground and stood back up. Beckman's rifle had made a gash on his forehead. The blood was going down from the gash passed his eye down towards his mouth.

"You're still standing?" said Beckman in mild surprise.

"Barely, but yeah," Ricky replied. "Surprised?"

"Yes," Beckman admitted. "You've come a long way from the nine year old that climbed onto my back and jumped off onto a pair of mountain bandits. I'm glad to see you learned how to use that sword properly."

"It took a few years, but now this sword is like an extension of my body," Ricky told him. "You still want to fight?"

"I think this has gone on long enough," Beckman decided. "It's only a friendly spar. There's no sense in prolonging it when I've seen what I wanted to see. You've come a long way, but you're still young and inexperienced. You still have a long way to go, but I'm sure you'll become a great pirate."

Ricky nodded and sheathed his red blade. "He's right, you've come a long way, kid," Shanks agreed. "If your improvement is anything to go by, then Luffy will really start shaking the world up when he sets off in two years time. I'm in a good mood now. THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!"

"Captain, didn't you just recover from your hangover?" questioned Lucky Roux.

"Who cares about that, WE'RE GONNA PARTY!" Shanks cheered. "Would you Spade Pirates care to join us?"

Ace nodded, "Deck, get the others and tell Treys to bring some food," he ordered. "Tonight we're partying with the Red Haired Pirates."

**-End Flashback part IV-**

"WOW!" Luffy exclaimed, "So you saw Shanks!"

Ricky nodded, "I also swindled Usopp's old man out of ten million berries. It was just like old times and that guy still couldn't hold his liquor. It was a fun break from Ace's suicidal search of Whitebeard. It took another few weeks, but we eventually came across someone who could lead us to him."

"Who?" asked Nami.

"Arlong's old boss, Jinbei," Ricky answered. "He was the first Warlord I ever met and he certainly set a high standard."

**Snort! **"Warlord?" Zoro grunted as he sat up and finally woke up.

"I was just telling them about my time in the Grand Line," Ricky explained. "If you can stay awake for another few minutes, I'll include my meeting with Hawk Eye." Zoro was instantly sitting up and was now as focused on Ricky's story as the other four Straw Hats.

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part V-**

Ace stood with his crew in front of the Knight of the Sea, one of the Seven Warlords with a former bounty of 250,000,000 berries. Jinbei was a large blue whale shark fishman with two-toned black hair in a topknot, curly yellow eyebrows and sideburns, a small greenish-black beard on his chin, and two large cone-like teeth poking out from the bottom of his mouth. His hands and feet were webbed and he was dressed in an orange jinbei with black and white square-shaped patterns all over it. A red sun tattoo could be seen through the opened neck of Jinbei's jinbei, he also wore a pair of sandals and a purple sash around his large round waist.

"Hey big fella," Ace greeted the Warlord, "I want to meet this guy called Whitebeard!"

"We have reason to believe that you know where he is," Jack added as he calmly stood at Ace's right side. Queen was to Jack's right while King and Ten were on Ace's left. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Nine were standing in a line behind before the Royal Flush Officers. Five towered over everyone else and was wearing boots and heavy metal battle armor, his large battle axe was strapped to his back, he looked to be roughly the same size as the fishman in front of them. "Would you mind telling us so we can meet him and get on with our lives?"

"I will not let a dangerous boy like you meet the old man," Jinbei resolved. "I am not a member of the Whitebeard Pirates but I am grateful to him… which is why I shall face you!"

"You sure you can take this guy, Ace?" asked King. "This guy's Jinbei, he's one of the Seven Warlords."

Seeing the determined look on Ace's face, Jack turned and addressed the rest of the crew, "There's no stopping him now. Unless you wanna get deep-fried, give them some room."

The Spade Pirates backed away from their captain and the warlord and watched as they clashed in a battle of fire and water.

**-Five Days Later-**

**HUFF! HUFF! **Ace and Jinbei stood across from each other panting for breath. They both looked barely conscious, but both fighters were determined to win and refused to let up for a second. They had fought for five days straight.

"It's been going on for five days and they still can't settle it," Deck commented as the rest of the Spade Pirates sat at the battle site. **THUD!**

"Hey, wake up!" Han turned and nudged Ricky who had fallen asleep sitting up. Ollie was also asleep with her head resting on Ricky's shoulder.

"Wazzat?" Ricky grumbled as he blearily opened his eyes and stared at the battle in time to see Ace and Jinbei simultaneously collapse to the ground, **THA-THUD! **

"Is it over?" Ollie, who had jerked awake with Ricky, wondered out loud.

**DOOOM!** That was when they noticed the MASSIVE pirate ship off the shore. It was made to resemble a giant white whale and was aptly named the Moby Dick.

"HOLY SHIT! IT'S THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES!" Ricky shouted, instantly awake, he jumped to his feet along with the other Spade Pirates. There on the deck, flanked by countless pirates, stood the largest man that Ricky had ever seen. Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate.

"**WHICH ONE OF YOU SAID HE'D TAKE MY HEAD?" **came the deep booming voice of the Strongest Man in the World. "IF YOU WANT IT SO BADLY, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!"

"Get ready for battle," King ordered. "If we're gonna go out, we'll go out fighting."

At the same time Whitebeard addressed his men, "I can do this alone." **SHOOM! **Whitebeard held onto his bisento which was even bigger than he was and leapt from the Moby Dick to the shore. **WHOOOOOM!** The giant man landing on the shore sent the Spade Pirates flying backwards.

On the ground, Ace opened his eyes and grinned at seeing the man he'd been looking for. He got up and shot flames out of his hands, **FWOOSH! **"FIRE FENCE!" The flames surrounded both him and Whitebeard and a giant wall of fire.

"Captain Ace, what are you doing?" called out Ten.

"ACE, YOU MORON, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?" Ricky demanded.

"YOU GUYS MAKE A RUN FOR IT!" Ace ordered.

"What… are you cowarding out?" asked Whitebeard as he towered over Ace.

"Let my Nakama escape," Ace requested, "And in return… I'll stay right here."

"Cheeky brat," Whitebeard commented.

"Here goes nothing," Ricky muttered. He ran straight for Ace's firewall and leapt right through it. **THUD! **He hit the ground and rolled around to put out the flames that had caught on his clothes.

"Ricky, what the hell are you doing here?" Ace snapped. "I told you guys to run!"

"And as your loyal crewmate, I would've obeyed that order," Ricky agreed. "But as your brother, I'm not gonna leave you alone after you've been fighting for five days straight."

Ricky finally directed his attention on Whitebeard and his eyes flew opened, the man was more than five times his size, he and Ace barley came up to his knee. Whitebeard wore a long white captain's coat over his shoulders, his arms were out of the sleeves and his chest was bare showing off his large muscles and numerous battle scars. He wore baggy white pants, big black boots, and a black bandana over his short hair. Under his nose was Whitebeard's signature crescent shaped white mustache/beard.

"Well… you certainly know how to pick 'em," Ricky remarked.

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard let out a loud booming laugh, he had an amused smile on his face as he stared down at Ricky and Ace. "So you two are gonna fight me together, eh? I never thought I'd live to see this day."

"Ace, Battle Tactic 002," Ricky whispered to Ace. Ace turned and put his hands together, Ricky drew his red blade and ran and jumped onto them and Ace launched him high up into the air and over Whitebeards head. "Red Blade… AVALANCHE!" Ricky called out as he slashed his sword downward at Whitebeard.

At the same time Ace spun around, his fist engulfed in flames as she shot it out at Whitebeard, "FIRE FIST!" **FWOOOSH!**

**FWISH! WHAM!** Whitebeard batted the fire and Ricky away from him all in the same motion using his bisento. Whitebeard had used the blade to deflect the fire while Ricky got smacked out of the fire circle by the shaft of the huge weapon. **THOOOOM! **Whitebeard drove his weapon into the ground and a shockwave sent Ace flying backwards. Ace fell into his fire wall, but since he was made of fire, it didn't burn him.

**Skish!** Ace quickly regained his balance and let out a yell of rage as he charged out of the wall of fire at Whitebeard, "UOOOAHHHH!"

**BOOOOOM! **Ace's blood was spilled and he was left lying on the ground in front of Whitebeard. But Ace wouldn't give up. He started to get up and prepared to face Whitebeard again.

"Gurarararara," Whitebeard laughed. "So you're still gonna stand up? It'd be a shame if you died here, kid. If you still want to wreck havoc on this sea, bear my mark on your back and go as wild as you like!" Whitebeard smiled and held out his hand, "Become my son!"

"Oh crap," Ricky muttered as he sat up and stared through the fire, "Ace has always had daddy issues."

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" Ace shouted as he charged and attacked Whitebeard again.

**-Hours Later-**

The Moby Dick was sailing through the Grand Line, Ricky was standing on the deck staring down at Ace. A man with slicked back blond hair, a black goatee, and a curved scar on the right side of his face was sitting on the railing near him.

Ace's body suddenly twitched and he sat up. "Hey, you're awake." Ricky greeted him. "You had me worried there for a second, Hot Shot."

"My name's Thatch," the blond man introduced himself, "I'm commander of the 4th Division. If you're gonna be our crewmate, let's try to get along."

"SHUT UP!" Ace shouted, then he turned to his brother, "Ricky… what happened?"

"He knocked you out and took you on board his ship with him," Ricky explained. "He seems to genuinely want you to join his crew. We regrouped and attacked in an attempt to get you back… it didn't go so well."

"We beat the crap out of them," Thatch supplied.

"But no one's dead," Ricky quickly continued. "The only one missing is Lucky. He said that he only came along as our guide and now that we're with the Whitebeard Pirates, we don't need him any more. Everyone else is on this ship right now. Whitebeard asked us to join his crew along with you. Personally, I think it's a great opportunity to learn from the Strongest Pirate Crew in the World."

Ace disregarded his brother for a moment and eyed Thatch, "You okay with me being on your ship without handcuffs or anyone guarding me?"

"Hm?" said Thatch.

"You might wanna get something to eat," Ricky suggested. "You fought Jinbei for five days and need some energy. I'll show you the kitchen, just like everything else on this ship, it's freaking huge." Ricky helped his brother up and the two of them wandered off.

**-End Flashback part V-**

"It took Ace a long time to accept," Ricky admitted. "In fact, he tried unsuccessfully to kill the old man one hundred sixteen times. Eventually, Ace came to terms with it and took Whitebeard's mark on his back."

"So your entire crew became members of the Whitebeard Pirates?" Usopp summarized, "no wonder you're strong."

"The old man wanted me to take is mark and become his son too," Ricky added.

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback part VI-**

"RRRAAAAHHHH!"Ace charged at Whitebeard from behind wielding an axe, **THWHAM!** But Whitebeard batted him aside and sent him crashing into the railing. **THUD!**

"That's unsuccessful attempt number forty-six," Ricky stated, he sounded bored.

"I can understand him not wanting to accept it," Whitebeard admitted. "What about you, kid? You've got spirit. Do you want to take my mark and become my son?"

Ricky frowned, "I never had a father," he confessed. "But there's only one pirate I'll pledge my undying loyalty to."

"You mean him?" asked Whitebeard as he motioned to Ace who was attempting to pull the blade of his axe out of the deck.

"No, my other brother actually," Ricky explained. "He hasn't set sail yet, but in about nineteen months he will. I plan on joining up with him and finding the One Piece with him so he can become the King of the Pirates. That's why I can't take your mark, my loyalty lies with my brother."

"So you wouldn't go and find the One Piece for me even if I ordered you?" questioned Whitebeard.

"That's right," Ricky agreed, "Although, for some reason or another, you don't seem to be after the One Piece. "

"You're a smart one," Whitebeard commented. "Many pirates are after treasure and power, but not me. All I ever wanted was a family. I can understand you being loyal to your brother, you must have an even deeper bond with him than you do with Ace, I'd never stand in between you and your family. But I'd still like you to be my son while you're on this crew."

Ricky smiled a foxy smile, "Sure thing, Pops."

Whitebeard's eyes went wide as he stared down at the red haired treasure hunter. Almost without realizing it, he said… "You look just like your mother."

"Say what now?" said Ricky as he stared up in surprise.

Whitebeard seemed to finally realize what he'd said, "I knew her," Edward Newgate explained. "Her name was Mitsune. She was a nurse. Very clever, just like you."

"She died when I was three," Ricky said. "I barely remember anything about her. Her sister Makino raised me in her tavern on Dawn Island in the East Blue. I was adopted by the leader of a clan of mountain bandits when I was nine. She raised all of us."

"Well you might not have had a father when you were growing up," Edward told him, "But you do now, son."

**-End Flashback part VI-**

**-x-**

**Training Montage:**

**-x-**

"The Whitebeard Pirates took me under their wing and treated me like one of their own," Ricky continued. "I learned a lot during the time I spent on that crew."

**-Flashback part VII-**

**-Sensory Training-**

Thatch was standing in front of Ricky holding his sword with both hands, he was wearing a long-sleeved blue button-down shirt and his blond hair was still slicked back. "I've decided to help you enhance your skills as a swordsman," Thatch explained. "Let's see what you can do."

"Alright, I just have one question," Ricky replied. "WHY AM I BLINDFOLDED?" A black strip of fabric had been tied over Ricky's eyes and he couldn't see a thing. Somehow Thatch expected him to swordfight.

"I want to enhance your senses," Thatch answered, "A good swordsman is always aware of his surroundings. Sometime your sense of sight won't be able to help you, so you'll have to rely on your other senses to compensate."

"I guess that makes sense," Ricky reasoned.

"Good, then prepare yourself," Thatch warned him. **SWISH!** Thatch swung his sword with two hands, Ricky attempted to block with his sword but his timing was off, allowing Thatch's attack to break his guard and connect, **WHAK!** At the last second Thatch turned his blade to the side so the flat side hit Ricky instead of the sharp one.

"GAH!" Ricky yelped as he staggered backwards.

"Keep your sword up," Thatch called out, "we're not done yet!" **SWISH! WHAK!**

"GAAAH!"

**-x-**

**Swish… KLANG! **A week and a half later, Ricky was once again blindfolded while dueling Thatch but this time he managed to get his curved blade up in time to defend himself.

**KLINK! KLANK! KLANG!** Ricky continued to use his senses of hearing, smell, and even his treasure sense to block Thatch's attacks.

Ricky was pushed back towards the mast despite his increased senses, he was still at a disadvantage. **KLANG!** "Nnnyyaaahh!" Ricky blocked another attack and pushed Thatch's sword away causing the older man to stagger backwards.

Thatch charged at Ricky but Ricky turned around ran in the other direction then ran up the mast and backflipped off of it. **TMP! **Ricky landed on the deck behind Thatch. Thatch spun around and swung at him, **SWISH!** Ricky ducked down and dodged the attack then lashed out with the flat side of this curved sword, **WHAK!** Thatch was caught off guard when Ricky's attack connected and he fell backwards, **THUD!**

"HAH-HA!" Ricky laughed, "I GOT YOU!"

"Good job, kid," Thatch congratulated him as he got up. Ricky grinned and didn't even bother removing his blindfold.

**-Endurance Training-**

"For a runt, you've got great endurance," a large dark-skinned and extremely muscular man commented. He wore battle armor with black shoulder pads that had red bolts on them. His hair and beard was in a stripe-like pattern and a scowl adorned his face. This man was Jozu the Commander of Whitebeard's Third Division. "Let's increase it."

**POW!** Ricky was suddenly punched in the stomach with a gigantic fist that was as hard as diamond, he went flying across the deck and then slammed down and went skidding into the railing.

"Ugghhh…"

"When your ribs heal, come back for more training," Jozu instructed him.

A month later, Ricky's ribs had been broken and healed another two times. He stood in front of Jozu and waited the worst. He clenched his stomach and chest muscles and braced for impact.

**POW!** Jozu's diamond-hard fist slammed into Ricky stomach and he went flying across the deck. **WHAM! **Ricky slammed into a wall and crashed down to the deck, but then pushed himself back up one his hands and knees.

"Nothing's broken," he groaned, "but I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"Good job runt," said Jozu. "Your endurance training is complete." He turned to leave.

"Hey wait," Ricky called after him, he staggered up to his feet. "You're a division commander, so that means you're really loyal to Whitebeard, right?"

"I am," Jozu answered.

"Why don't you have his mark then?" Ricky asked.

"Because no needle can pierce my skin," Jozu growled. "I thought you were smart."

Ricky fished into his pocket and pulled out his black case and opened it up to reveal his gem crafting tools. "Would you mind letting me give it a try?"

An hour later, Ricky surveyed his work on Jozu's left arm, etched into his bicep was a manji with a white mustache, the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Jozu stared at the mark and for the first time in a long time, he smiled, "Thanks runt."

**-Explosion Balls-**

"What're you doing kid?" came a sleepy voice as a blond man with tanned skin walked in. He had a lean but very muscular frame and wore an opened shirt, a blue sash around his waist, and a dark pair of pants. This was Marco, Whitebeard's First Division Commander.

Marco opened his normally droopy eyes and stared around at the wide assortment of gunpowder and other explosives that were around Ricky.

"Hey Marco," Ricky greeted the First Division Commander. "I'm trying to make a smoke-screen. The best way for me to survive against stronger opponents here in the Grand Line is to escape. I'm trying to create something that not only provides a smoke cover, but also explodes and can be used as a weapon."

Marco casually sat down across from him, "You know… rum burns," he supplied. "What if you made a ball of gunpowder and soaked it in rum? When you threw it on the ground it would explode and the rum would help it burn to create a fire screen."

"You might be onto something," Ricky realized.

**-x-**

A week later, Ricky, Ollie, Han, and Deck were surrounded by a dozen pirates that were armed to the teeth with guns and swords. Ricky seemed to have pissed them off when he stole a treasure chest from him.

"Looks like this might be it," Deck muttered.

Ricky flashed a foxy grin and reached into his top right pocket. He pulled out a pair of red balls and threw them on the ground at his feet. **KA-BOOOOM!** The balls exploded and Ricky, Deck, Ollie, and Han were all hidden from view by a dark cloud of smoke. The pirates stared at the smoke cloud in confusion, when it cleared, all that was left was a small hole that had been blown in the ground.

"Wait 'till I tell Marco that the Explosion Balls worked," Ricky commented out loud as the four of them ran to their boat. Ricky still had the treasure chest tucked under his arm.

**THUNK!** When they arrived back at the ship, Whitebeard slammed a barrel of grog down in front of them. "Good job boys, drink up."

"I'M A GIRL, DAMN IT!" Ollie shouted up at him, she stalked off grumbling about the nurses being the only ones that didn't get treated like a 'son'.

"I don't drink," Deck excused himself as he walked away.

"Looks like you're on your own, son," Whitebeard commented as he eyed Ricky and the barrel of grog in front of him. Han was already off drinking with some of the other Whitebeard Pirates.

"BUT IT'S HUGE!" Ricky protested.

"No son of mine won't be able to drink a like a man!" Whitebeard snapped.

"But I could get alcohol poisoning! Or explode!" Ricky argued.

"Let's hope you don't," Whitebeard replied.. "NOW DRINK!"

"I hope I can keep this down," Ricky muttered.

**-x-**

Two weeks later, Ace led the rest of the Spade Pirates onto the Moby Dick. Fire Fist proudly sported Whitebeard's mark on his back.

"ACE'S DONE IT AGAIN!" someone called out. "I hear he made Doma's gang surrender!"

"Well done Ace," Whitebeard congratulated him. "I've seen how well you lead your men, and I've decided to make you the Commander of Division Two. Everyone's already given their consent."

Ace turned to a large man with a scruffy black beard, "You pretty much look like an old timer, Teach," Ace reasoned. "Shouldn't it be your job?"

"Zehahahahaha!" Marshall D. Teach laughed. "Nah, it's okay. I ain't got such ambition! You do it Commander Ace."

"Alright, I'll do it," Ace relented. The Whitebeard Pirates let out a collective cheer.

"THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!" Whitebeard called out.

Whitebeard's five cooks, one of which was Treys, made a feast which Ace ended up falling asleep in the middle of. Some of the more excitable pirates frantically checked if he was dead or not.

**THUNK!** Whitebeard ignored the commotion and slammed a barrel down in front of Ricky. "Drink up son."

**CHUNK!** Ricky drove his fist down into the top of the barrel and made a hole in the top then hoisted it up over his head and drank from it. Whitebeard watched in amusement as Ricky drank the entire barrel. **THUNK!** Ricky put the barrel down and staggered backwards.

"You okay?" asked Ollie as she caught him and helped him regain his balance.

In response, Ricky grabbed her and kissed the surprised archer soundly on the lips. Ricky pulled away and flashed her a foxy grin, "Hah-ha, that hit the spot." Ollie stared at him wide-eyed… then punched him in the face. **POW!** Ricky was out like a light.

"Jerk," she muttered as she glared down at him.

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed. "Nice hit son."

"I'M A GIRL, YOU OLD BASTARD!" Ollie yelled.

"Well you punch like a boy," Whitebeard replied. Ollie stepped over Ricky's prone body and stalked off grumbling to herself about senile, gender-confused, old men.

It didn't help that she almost ran into Izou the Commander of Whitebeard's Sixteenth Division.

**-Encounter with Mihawk-**

"So how much do you think its worth?" asked Ace as he and Ricky sat at a table in a pub and inspected treasure chest that they'd acquired. Ricky had come across the treasure map and asked his Division Commander to come along with him.

"I'm not all that sure," Ricky admitted as he peered inside the chest and sifted his hands through the treasure inside. "Something in here is throwing it off."

**Kreeeek... **The door opened and a lone figure walked in. He was wearing a black hat with a feather in it, a long black coat with purple sleeves, gray pants and black boots. He had a six foot sword that was as big as he was on his back. You could tell he was strong just by how he carried himself.

Ricky stared in shock at the man while Ace looked confused, "Who's that?" Ace asked.

"That's 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk," Ricky whispered, "The World's Greatest Swordsman. He's also one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"Well if it isn't Whitebeard's Second Division Commander," Mihawk commented. "I heard that he'd recently recruited someone strong. The World's Government's been worried about you aligning with him. Perhaps I should do my duty as a Warlord and rid the Government of this problem."

"Y-you may be the Greatest Swordsman in the World, BUT WE WON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" Ricky shouted. Internally he was terrified. He knew he couldn't win a swordfight with the World's Greatest.

**TUNK! ZZZZZZ! A**ce suddenly fell asleep face-first in a dish of food.

"Okay… uh… maybe we _will_ go down easily…" Ricky admitted with a huge sweat-drop on the back of his head. "But… um… see that mark on his back!" Ricky pointed to the manji on Ace's back. "Whitebeard's taken a special interest in him. Taking us in will be more trouble than its worth."

"You may have a point," Mihawk admitted. "But _you_ don't have his mark, and you seem to have a sword."

**CHUNK!** Ricky slammed the treasure chest shut and threw it across the room at Mihawk. It hit the floor in front of him. "JUST TAKE THE TREASURE! DON'T KILL ME!" Ricky shouted.

"Hmm… how much is in here?" Mihawk inquired as he stared down at the treasure chest.

"S-seventeen m-million," Ricky stammered, "but uh… there's something else in there that's worth another… um… eight. I just don't know what…"

"I suppose this'll do," Mihawk resolved as he picked up the chest and headed for the door, "perhaps we'll cross paths again." **KREK! **With that, he was gone just as quickly as he came.

"Phhheeewww," Ricky sighed in relief, "I just survived an encounter with Hawk Eye Mihawk. There's only one thing to do after a situation like that… get trashed."

"**Sounds fun,"** said Ace, who'd just woken up. "What happened to Hawk Eye?"

"YOU LEFT ME TO FEND HIM OFF BY MYSELF, YOU NARCOLEPTIC ACEHOLE!"

Ace and Ricky got totally trashed in the bar, on the way back to Whitebeard's Ship, Ricky had an unforgettable encounter with a shark.

**-End Flashback part VII-**

"Way to keep your composure," Zoro teased him.

"I wasn't ready then," Ricky defended himself "I was still in the early stages of my pirate career, even if I did align myself with strong pirates. I wasn't ready to have the World's Greatest Swordsman out for my head."

"Sounds like you and Ace had a lot of fun in the Grand Line," said Luffy. "I can't wait to go there!"

"It _was_ fun," Ricky agreed. "Those three years on Ace and Whitebeard's pirate crews were the best years of my life. It was great while it lasted."

"Something tells me your story is going to get worse," Nami assumed.

"That's the case with most stories," Ricky replied.

**-x-**

Next chapter Ricky's story continues. You'll learn about Blackbeard's treasure and the Curse of the Red Eye.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	43. Chapter 42

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Blackbeard's Treasure:**

**-Ricky's Origin Flashback pt VIII-**

Eleven months before Luffy set out and the current storyline began, Ricky was walking along a hallway inside the Moby Dick. He was eighteen now and had grown to his full height of six feet over the year he'd spent with the Whitebeard Pirates. His long red hair was tied back in a ponytail that went down to the bottom of his neck. He wore a pair of black boots, black pants, and a white shirt with the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates on the back.

**WHAP!** Someone suddenly grabbed the back of Ricky's shirt and yanked him into the room he was walking passed. Ricky was placed down on a stool and the door was slammed shut. **SLAM!** **Thunk!** A man placed a mug of grog down on the table in front of Ricky then sat down next to him. **"I have a proposal for you,"** said the man.

The man stood over eleven feet tall and his large girth made him three times the size of Ricky. He had long curly black hair and short scruffy beard on his jaw, the four buttons on the top of his white shirt were undone and showed off his hairy chest. He wore a black bandana on the top of his head, the aforementioned white shirt, black pants and boots, and a thick belt with rum bottles and a pair of pistols stuck in it. His name was Marshall D. Teach.

"Teach, what do you want?" asked Ricky.

"Have a drink," Teach offered as he motioned to the mug he'd placed on the counter in front of Ricky. "I hear you like grog from the North Blue, so I got some especially for you."

An alarm bell went off in Ricky's head as he took the mug and tentatively took a sip, it was genuine North Blue Grog, his favorite. "Good stuff," Ricky remarked. "Why the particular interest in me?"

"I need a favor," Teach explained, the normally jolly man was serious, another warning bell went off in Ricky's head. "Ace told me about that Treasure Sense of yours, and how you used it to find his Devil Fruit. I was hoping you could help me do something similar so I can achieve my destiny."

"Destiny, huh," said Ricky. "I suppose I could help you out. What do you need?"

"I've been searching for a Devil Fruit called the Dark Dark Fruit for the last fifteen years," Teach told him.

A third warning bell went off in Ricky's head. This 'Dark Dark Fruit' sounded creepy. Ricky quickly took a long drink from his mug of grog to hide the suspicious look on his face.

Teach pulled a rolled up piece of paper out from his belt, "I found this map a month ago, I think I leads to the island that the Fruit is on. It's my Fate to get that Fruit, I just know it."

"Then why do you need me?" questioned Ricky as he finished off his grog and placed the empty cup on the counter. "If finding this Devil Fruit's your destiny, why haven't you done it already?"

"I've already investigated the island," Teach admitted. "But I couldn't find it. I think that Treasure Sense of yours could help me. What do you say, will you help me achieve my destiny?"

Despite all the warning bells going off in Ricky's head, he was still a treasure hunter, and he couldn't pass up on this opportunity to find this amazing treasure. "Alright," Ricky agreed, "But I have a condition."

"What?" asked Teach, Ricky pretended not to notice him twitching.

"We need to bring someone with us," Ricky answered, he saw Teach about to protest but cut him off. "It always helps to bring along an extra crewmate to have your back. You never know what kind of booby-traps are set up around the treasure. Did Ace happen to tell you that we found his Flame Flame Fruit _inside _a volcano?"

Ricky could see the wheels inside Teach's head spinning. It was clear to Ricky that the man didn't want anyone else to know about his expedition. Ricky didn't feel comfortable going on a trip for a creepy Devil Fruit with a just as creepy Teach for company.

"Alright," Teach conceded. "We'll bring someone along, but just one other person. Find someone, and meet me in and hour and we'll set off. I wanna get my hands on that Fruit as soon as possible. I'll finally achieve my destiny. ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ricky quickly left the room and wandered the inside of the ship, wondering who to bring with him. His mind was buzzing with how creepy Teach had been acting and how suspicious this Dark Dark Fruit sounded. He almost didn't hear the person that was calling after him.

"**Hey Ricky!" **Ricky turned around and saw Ollie running down the hallway toward him. "I've been looking for you."

"Oh yeah, what's up?" Ricky asked.

Ollie smiled at him, "I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight."

"I… can't," Ricky reluctantly replied. But he'd already told Teach that he'd find the Devil Fruit with him. In all honesty, he'd _prefer_ spending an evening with Ollie then going on a treasure hunt with Teach.

"Oh," Ollie replied dismissively. "Well, then just forget about it. It was a stupid idea anyway."

"I'm leaving on a mission soon," Ricky explained. "Teach found a treasure map and wanted me to come along with him."

Ollie's green eyes widened in understanding, "Oh, can I come?"

Ricky thought about it, they'd been Nakama for a while. She'd been on treasure hunts with him in the past. But this was different. Teach was acting weird and Ricky DID NOT want to get her involved in the weirdness. Ricky wanted to bring along someone who could hopefully handle Teach if things got weird, like one of the Division Commanders. He didn't want Ollie to get hurt going after a creepy treasure with him and Teach.

"No," Ricky answered a bit more bluntly than he had intended.

Ollie frowned, "Sorry I asked," she pushed passed him and walked off, "I don't know why I even bothered."

"I'm sorry," he whispered after her. He felt horrible. But he didn't want her to get hurt. Ricky strengthened his resolve and ran up to the main deck in search of a Division Commander to bring with him.

Ace was away on a mission and Jozu was busy. Ricky eventually found Thatch and explained the situation to him.

"That does sound suspicious," Thatch admitted. "But Teach has been a member of this crew for a long time."

"Well he was acting weird," Ricky explained. "And with a Devil Fruit called the Dark Dark Fruit, I just wanted to be careful."

"Alright, I'll come," Thatch agreed. "When do we leave?"

"Teach asked me to meet with him in an hour," Ricky answered, "So… ten minutes."

"Then we'd better get going," Thatch decided. Ricky nodded and the two of them headed off to meet Teach.

**-End Flashback pt VIII-**

"We followed Teach's map to this island," Ricky continued, "the second I got off of the boat we were on I felt the treasure. It was the same kind of feeling I had when I saw the Gum Gum Fruit… and the same feeling I felt with the Flame Flame Fruit… but it was darker." He still had the entire crew's attention.

**-Ricky and the Treasure Flashback part IX -**

Ricky stepped off of the boat and onto the shore, "SWEET SILVERS RAYLEIGH!" Ricky took a step back and shivered.

"What is it? Do you sense the treasure?" asked Teach as he followed Ricky off the boat.

"Yeah but that's putting it mildly," said Ricky. "It's almost overpowering. You were right Teach, it must be powerful I've never sensed anything like this before."

"Zehahaha! Excellent," Teach chuckled happily. "Then it should be no problem for you to find it."

"You've got that right," Ricky agreed, "follow me."

Ricky led Teach and Thatch across the island and they eventually made it to a cave on the mountain in the middle of the island.

"I checked this cave the last time I came here," Teach told them. "But I didn't find anything inside it."

"It's definitely in there," Ricky assured him. "I'd bet anything on it."

"A dark cave leading to the Dark Dark Fruit," Thatch remarked as he stared into the opening of the dark cave. "It seems fitting."

"Torches?" Ricky suggested. The three of them quickly lit torches and entered the cave. The cave went downward and they kept going deeper and deeper for what felt like hours. But eventually… they had reached a dead end.

"See, it's a dead end," Teach pointed out. "It's the same thing I encountered last time."

Ricky ran his hands along the wall beside him and stared at it. "It's not a dead end," Ricky told him. "It feels like its coming from _behind_ the wall. Maybe there's some kind of room through here."

"There's a small opening in the wall down there," Thatch observed as he pointed his torch towards a small hole in the wall.

"I won't be able to fit through that," Teach realized, he eyed Ricky, "But the kid could probably do it."

Ricky nodded in agreement, "I think I can manage it."

"When you find it, bring the treasure back," Teach instructed.

"Dah hah ah ahh 'ahhih a' oin'," said Ricky as he put his torch in his mouth, then got down on his knees and squeezed into the opening of the tunnel. (Translation: That's what I was planning on doing.)

"We'll keep our lights pointed at this end of the opening so it will be easier to find your way back," Thatch told Ricky as he crawled into the opening.

With just the torch in his mouth to light his way, Ricky squirmed his way through the small passage. It went on for a few minutes until the passage started getting wider, Ricky kept crawling until he came out of the passage into a small chamber. It was barely big enough for him to stand up in. On a short stone pillar in the middle of the room was a black treasure chest. _"There it is,"_ Ricky thought to himself, with the torch still in his mouth. Ricky reached into his left pocket and pulled out his black leather took case. He pulled out a lock pick and shined the torch on the chest as he picked the lock. **Click!** It popped opened and Ricky lifted the lid and shined the light down on the strange-looking dark purple fruit that resembled a bunch of grapes. _"This thing's beyond creepy."_

Ricky closed the lid of the treasure chest and held it up in front of him. _"I'll make sure to show this to Pops, he'll know what to do."_ Ricky tucked the chest under his arm then crouched down and crawled back into the hole he had come in from. With the chest under one of his arms and the torch in his mouth Ricky crawled through the passage way until he saw flickering light coming through the other end.

"**Here he comes," **Thatch's voice called out.

"**It's about time,"** Teach's voice replied as Ricky squirmed out of the hole and stood up. "Well, you got it right?"

"Yeah, I got it," answered Ricky as he took the torch out of his mouth and held it with one hand while opening the chest with the other to show Teach the fruit inside.

"At last!" Teach exclaimed. "Zehahahaha!"

"Nothing personal," said Ricky. "But that fruit gave me the creeps. I want to show it to the old man before anyone eats it."

"But that fruit is my destiny!" Teach protested. "That Fruit is my Fate, you can't keep it from me!"

"Calm down," Thatch scolded him. "You can live your dream after we show the fruit to the old man. With a name like Dark Dark Fruit that fruit sounds very dangerous. I just want to be sure that it's safe."

"Of course it's safe! It's my Fate! My destiny!" Teach insisted.

"If you think about it, _I _was the one who managed to get through the little passageway and got the chest," Ricky pointed out. "If it was your destiny to find this thing, wouldn't the tunnel into the other chamber have been bigger?"

"The Fruit's my Fate, it doesn't matter how I acquire it."

"Let's get out of this cave and get back to the ship," Thatch suggested. "Once we're there we can sort out this whole thing."

Ricky nodded and started back out of the cave, without another word Thatch followed after him. Teach stood and muttered something then went after them.

Two and a half hours later the trio finally made it out of the cave and back to the ship. It was already dark out so they had dinner then decided to head back to the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates in the morning.

In the middle of the night Ricky's eyes snapped open, he felt himself being drawn to the Dark Dark Fruit and in no time he was in the room they were holding it in. Ricky lifted the lid of the chest and stared down at the fruit, it was like it was calling to him. Ricky pulled the fruit out of the treasure chest and held it up in front of him staring at it intently. But suddenly he heard voices.

"**Where are you going, Teach?"** came Thatch's voice.

"**I was just going for a late night snack," **Teach answered. **"I'm still hungry."**

"**Don't give me that,"** Thatch's voice replied. **"You're going to eat the fruit."**

"**Zehahahaha!" **Teach laughed. **"Alright, you caught me."**

"**I told you, not until we get back to Whitebeard,"** said Thatch.

"**You no longer have control over the matter,"** Teach replied. **BANG! THUD! BANG! BANG! **

Ricky stared at the door in horror, he was pretty sure he had just overheard Thatch getting shot multiple times. He picked up the treasure and held it to his chest. Teach had killed one of his Nakama to get the Devil Fruit. That went against all of the morals that Whitebeard had taught them.

Ricky's mind was buzzing, he was right to be suspicious of Teach, he'd _killed_ to get that Fruit. Not just that, he'd killed _his Nakama _to get the Fruit. Ricky was momentarily glad that he'd decided to leave without Ollie, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he let her come and end up getting killed over the Fruit. Teach had killed Thatch, a Division Commander. Ricky had picked him to come as an escort so that WOULDN'T happen.

"**You shouldn't have interfered with Fate,"** came Teach's voice, it was getting closer. **KREEK!** The door opened and Ricky found himself face to face with Marshal D. Teach, he had a pistol in his hand.

"So you heard, eh?" questioned Teach. Ricky only nodded. "Zehahaha, that fool interfered with my destiny and was out to ruin my dream. No one can fight Fate."

"But… you killed him!" Ricky exclaimed still shocked by what he had heard.

"It couldn't be helped," Teach replied. "He was in the way. Now the question is… are you in the way… or are you going to allow me to achieve my dream?"

"This dream of yours is bigger than the Fruit, isn't it?" asked Ricky.

"Zehahahaha!" Teach laughed. "You always were the smart one. Yes, I have big plans but the Dark Dark Fruit is at the center of them. By giving me that treasure you're helping me realize my dream. So what I want to know is… do you want to join _my _pirate crew?"

"_Your _pirate crew?" questioned Ricky.

"Yes, my pirate crew," Teach confirmed. "I plan on setting out on my own and forming the Blackbeard Pirates. I'LL BE THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

"King of the Pirates?" Ricky repeated.

"Yeah," said Teach. "The days of Whitebeard are over. That old man can't become the King of the Pirates, it's _my_ destiny. That fruit will help me achieve it."

"Why is this fruit so special?" asked Ricky.

"They say the Dark Dark Fruit has the powers of the Sea Devil himself," Blackbeard explained. "It controls darkness and I must have it. You'll make a great addition to my crew with the proper molding. Your observations about Fate were correct, y_ou_ were the one to crawl through the tunnel and get the treasure. Your destiny is to help me achieve my dream at the same time you'll live your dream and find the One Piece you're after."

Ricky stayed silent and Teach continued. "So what do you say?" Teach asked. "**DO YOU WANT TO JOIN MY PIRATE CREW?**"

**-End Flashback part VII-**

**The Curse of the Devil's Eye:**

**-x-**

"So you joined him and that's why everyone's afraid of you now," Sanji guessed.

"No, unfortunately I didn't," Ricky replied, as he suppressed a shudder. "I wish it had been that simple. More lives would've been saved if I had just accepted and turned on him at the right moment."

**-Ricky's Flashback pt VIII-**

**(A/N: **This section contains graphic violence. But if there are Naruto stories out there that have death and violence and can still be rated 'T', I think I can get away with this. I'd like to see you have someone's eye cut out and keep the rating at TEEN.**)**

"_Teach wants me to abandon pops and join him,"_ Ricky thought to himself and stared at Blackbeard.

"All you have to do is give me the fruit," Teach told him.

Ricky took a deep breath and walked over to Teach then held out the chest containing the Devil Fruit. "Open wide," Ricky instructed.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Teach laughed. "That's the spirit boy! You'll be my First Mate! We'll scour the seas for worthy crew members and we'll start the new age of pirates!" Teach opened his mouth and waited for Ricky to give it to him.

"**JAVELIN KICK!"** Ricky screamed. He gave it to him all right he lashed out his leg and kicked Teach in the jaw with everything he had. **CRUNCH!** Some of Blackbeard's teeth fell out of his mouth as he fell backwards and hit the floor **FWUMP!** Ricky jumped over Teach and ran out of the room clutching the treasure chest to his chest.

He saw Thatch's body lying on the deck. He had four bullet wounds in his chest. Ricky momentarily felt guilty. He had convinced Thatch to come along, if he hadn't, he'd still be alive.

Ricky shook his head. Thatch had agreed to come because he knew the risks involved with a powerful Devil Fruit. If Ricky had gone alone with Teach, it might've been him lying there dead on the deck. Ricky had brought Thatch along, but Teach had been the one to kill him. Thatch had died to keep Teach from getting his hands on the Fruit, and Ricky wasn't going to let his death be in vain. He owed Thatch that much. Ricky turned and jumped off of the ship then raced back towards the island.

"**YOU'RE INTERFERING WITH FATE, BOY!"** Blackbeard shouted after him. **"NO ONE'S GOING TO KEEP ME FROM MY DREAM!"** **SPLASH!**

Ricky didn't have to see him to know Blackbeard had jumped off of the boat and was running after him. Ricky ran as fast as he could and made it to the island he, could still heard Teach coming behind him but luckily Ricky was faster than Teach and was putting some distance between them.

"_This is hopeless,"_ Ricky thought to himself. _"There's only one way off of this island and that's with the ship we came here on. As stupid as he looks, Teach knows that. I need to catch him by surprise then jump on the ship and take off before he can stop me."_

Ricky put on another burst of speed and ducked down behind a big rock. The cave that the Dark Dark Fruit had been in was part of a mountain that had giant boulders all over it. Ricky was halfway around the cave and hiding behind one of the boulders.

Ricky peaked around the side of the boulder and saw Teach running over, "GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT!" Teach bellowed. "YOU'RE KEEPING ME FROM MY DESTINY!"

Ricky put down the treasure chest then stood back up and drew his sword, "Here goes nothing," Ricky whispered as he waited for Blackbeard to pass the boulder he was behind. "Red Blade… LIGHTNING STRIKE!" Ricky launched himself at Teach with his sword drawn, but Teach heard him coming and whirled around in time to side-step the pirate flying towards him. **SWISH!** **WHAM!** Blackbeard held his hand together and drove them down into Ricky's back, sending him crashing down to the ground.

"I see…" Blackbeard commented, "attacking an opponent roughly ten times your strength in a one-on-one battle… a cunning strategy. Wait no… what's the opposite of that?" (A/N: Dragon Ball Z Abridged reference)

"Uh… stupid?" Ricky offered as he lunged up off of the ground and swung his leg around at Teach's face. **WHAP! **Blackbeard reached out and grabbed Ricky's leg then used his hold on it to slam him down to the ground.** WHAM!**

"Yeah, that's it, stupid," Blackbeard amended as he stood over Ricky. "ZEHAHAHA! YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE BRAT!"

Ricky rolled away from Teach and attempted to get up, "You're spirited but you're in over your head. You're determined to protect that treasure… and I respect that." **THWAK!** Teach lashed out his leg and kicked Ricky in the face sending him crashing to the ground and rolling away. "This is your last chance, boy. Join my pirate crew… you'll find One Piece… and I'll become King of the Pirates."

"Hah-ha," Ricky chuckled as he staggered up to his feet. "That's where you're wrong, you might kill me… but you'll never become King of the Pirates."

**POW!** Blackbeard punched Ricky hard in the stomach doubling him over. **SLIK!** Blackbeard raked his nails across Ricky's right eye causing the skin around it to bleed and drip down into the split eyeball. Blood was dripping down the side of Ricky's face and he let out a pain-filled scream, "AAAAAHHHHHHH! SON OF A BITCH!"

"ARE YOU DOUBTING MY FATE AND MY DREAM?" Teach demanded. "If you're so smart, you tell me, who do you think will be the next Pirate King? That old man you call 'pops'? Whitebeard?"

"No," Ricky replied as he staggered up to his feet. "He hasn't set off yet… but in a year's time… he will. The new generation of pirates… will be lead by the next King of the Pirates… MONKEY D. LUFFY!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Blackbeard snarled, **SLIK! **Blackbeard raked his nails across Ricky's right eye in the other direction, giving him two deep scratches going across his eye which was now bleeding profusely.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Ricky screamed in agony as his eye was practically torn out of its socket. "MOTHER FU—" **THWAK!** Ricky was cut off with a hard kick to the chest and went crashing down to the ground.

**WHAM!** **WOMP! CRASH! CRUNCH! **Blackbeard kept attacking Ricky until he was no longer moving. Ricky laid on the ground and his consciousness faded, the last thing he heard was Teach laughing, **"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"**

**-End Flashback pt IX-**

"So that's where you got the scars from," Nami realized, she placed a comforting hand on Ricky's shoulder.

"Did you really tell him I was going to be King of the Pirates?" asked Luffy.

"Of course," Ricky answered, "I've never doubted you. Teach was already a great fighter before eating the Dark Dark Fruit, with it he's probably unstoppable. But if anyone can beat him it'll be you. No matter who you're fighting you always rise to the occasion and beat them."

"So what happened next?" asked Usopp. "Obviously you didn't die because you're still here."

"You're right," Ricky agreed. "But the story only gets worse."

"What could be worse than getting your eye cut out and almost dying?" questioned Nami.

"Finding a new one," Ricky replied.

**-Origin Flashback part X -**

Ricky eventually woke up and opened his eye. He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious for, it could have been hours, it could have been days, it could have been weeks for all he knew. The blood from his right eye had dried and the cuts around his eyelid were starting to scar. He reached out and grabbed his sword which was on the ground next to him and cut himself with it before putting it away. But that was when Ricky felt it. _"Wait… what's that?" _Ricky asked himself. _"I sense treasure, something dark. But that bastard took the Devil Fruit and left." _With only one eye Ricky staggered to his feet, he barely had depth perception now, so he relied on his Treasure Sense to lead him. He found himself in front of the cave he had found the Dark Dark Fruit in. _"There's something else in there,"_ Ricky realized. _"The Devil Fruit must have been blocking me from sensing it."_ Ricky stood in front of the cave for a moment, _"It's not like I have anything to lose." _

With the aid of a torch they had left at the cave and with only one eye Ricky headed into the cave and made the difficult two and a half hour journey with barely any depth perception. The entire way, Ricky was thinking about Teach and the horrible things he had done, _"He killed Thatch … He tried to kill me… He killed his Nakama… He abandoned Whitebeard after all the years he had been on the crew… he'll pay for what he's done… sooner or later… he's going to pay…"_ Eventually Ricky made it to the same dark dead end and after feeling around he found the passage way. Ricky put the torch in his mouth and got down on his hands and knees and squeezed into the opening then crawled through it like he had earlier. A few minutes later, Ricky came out the other end and found himself in the same cavern he had found the Dark Dark Fruit in.

Ricky's search of the cavern came up with nothing he shook his head and sat down on the small pillar that the Devil Fruit had been on. "I sense the treasure but I don't see it. It's like I'm sitting on top of it. WAIT A MINUTE!" Ricky stood up and glanced at the pillar, _"It's worth a shot,"_ he said to himself, **THWAK!** Ricky lashed out his leg and kicked the pillar, knocking it away into the wall. "That was a little easier than I—Whoa!" Ricky suddenly noticed a hole in the ground where the pillar had been, it looked like it was barely big enough for him to fit into. Ricky shrugged and put the torch back in his mouth then lowered himself legs-first into the hole. He spread his legs out to keep from falling then slowly slid all the way inside and started his way down.

Ricky kept going down the hole for what felt like hours, it seemed like it was going down to the center of the Earth. But Ricky had nothing else to do, his ship was gone and he was stranded on the island. So he kept going for what felt like forever and kept going lower and lower, deeper and deeper, he felt like he was going down to Hell itself. The treasure he sensed kept getting stronger. Finally the hole Ricky had been squeezing through opened wider, Ricky shined his torch down at the cavern below him and could vaguely make out solid ground. Ricky took a deep breath and dropped, **TMP!** He landed in a crouch in a small cavern that wasn't even big enough for him to stand up in. By now the treasure was almost overwhelming his Treasure Sense… like a really strong smell or a bright light after being in the dark for a long time.

Ricky shined his torch which was almost burned out by now and noticed a blood red chest on the ground in front of him. There was no lock on the chest and Ricky gave it an experimental tug … IT OPENED! _"I didn't expect that to actually work." _Ricky commented to himself. Inside was a blood red ball, Ricky tentatively reached in and picked the ball out of the case. It was about the size of a human eye and smelled strongly of blood. After looking over the ball for a few minutes with the little bit of light that he had left Ricky realized, "ITS AN EYE!"

"_How do you like that for Fate, Teach?"_ Ricky asked himself. _"You cut out my eye, I find a new one. I managed to squeeze through two holes that your bulky ass wouldn't have made it through. You're talking about destiny… well this eye is mine." _Ricky used the tip of _Akaikyuuketsuki_ to clean the remains of his eye from his eye socket, having gotten the blood from his eye on the sword he put it away. Then he slowly lifted the red eye to his face, he hesitated for a moment then shoved the eye into the empty eye socket, **SQUISH!**

"_Whoa,"_ Ricky said to himself. _"I feel great." _His eye didn't hurt anymore now that he had the new one and his body was no longer sore.

"_**Amazing isn't it?"**_ came a voice in Ricky's head, startling him.

"_Who the hell are you?"_ Ricky demanded.

"_**I'm the spirit of the eye you just put in your head,"**_came a reply. _**"You no doubt have heard of the Devil Fruit… since I was practically buried under one. Well I am THE DEVIL'S EYE!"**_

"_Never heard of it,"_ Ricky stated.

"_**Of course you haven't," **_the voice boasted. _**"The Devil's Eye has never been seen by a mortal before yourself. You have found one of the ocean's lost treasures and are now endowed with the powers I possess."**_

"Powers?" Ricky repeated. The red eye swiveled and glanced upward.

"_**That's a long hole you came down through isn't it? I bet you'd like to get through it quickly."**_

"Well as tempting as saying in this hole sounds…"

"_**Your sarcasm is not appreciated."**_

"Okay, yes… I'd like to get out of the hole."

"_**That's what I thought. Picture yourself floating upward with your mind, floating up that hole to the next room."**_

Ricky did as he was told and pictured it, but nothing happened. "Is something supposed to happen?"

Without even knowing that he was doing it, Ricky raised his arms up in the air then shot them downwards, HE FLEW UP INTO THE HOLE! Ricky kept going and it was only a matter of minutes until had managed to come out the top of the hole and find himself in the cavern he had found the Dark Dark Fruit in.

"_What the hell was that?" _Rickydemanded.

"_**It's called telekinesis, its one of the powers that I possess. You can move things, including yourself, with your mind… or more appropriately, with me."**_

"_This is amazing! I could do anything with this!"_

"_**Including killing the bastard that cut your eye out and left you for dead. You have the power to kill him even if he has the Dark Dark Fruit."**_

"_How'd you know that?"_

"_**I'm inside your mind, how do you think?"**_

"_Okay, dumb question but here's another one. You said that telekinesis was __**one**__ of the powers that you possess. Does that mean there others?"_

"_**Did you notice that you don't have your torch, yet?"**_

"_But I can see fine!"_

"_**Exactly. I'm a mystical eye. With me you can see perfectly for long distances and you can see beyond the visible light spectrum, smoke and darkness have no effect on me. It's called UltraRed Vision."**_

Ricky smirked, _"Teach won't know what hit him."_

"_**Yes, that's it. Embrace the power… you can now control anything you wish. Why don't you get out of this cave and give it a try?"**_

Ricky nodded and without even knowing what he was doing, he dropped down to the ground and shot his arms out behind him. Ricky rocketed forward and into the sideways passage that he had crawled through and in seconds he was on the other side. But Ricky kept going and FLEW all the way out of the cave in a matter of twenty minutes.

"_Wow!"_

"**Hold it right there!"** came a voice. Ricky spun around to see a group of five pirates standing behind him. "Who're you? What're you doing here?"

"If you're here for the treasure… I'm afraid you're too late," said Ricky.

"You mean you have the Dark Dark Fruit?" asked one of the pirates.

"_We're gonna have to kill this brat for getting in our way," _one of the pirates thought to himself. But for some reason, Ricky heard it.

"_He didn't say that out loud,"_ Ricky said to himself.

"_**You can read minds… with me you're telepathic."**_

**(A/N: ****There's death ahead. ****Not descriptively violent, but still death. You've been warned.)**_**  
**_

"OI! I'M TALKIN' TO YOU!" a pirate yelled. "DO YOU HAVE THE DARK DARK FRUIT?"

"No," Ricky answered honestly. "Someone else does but I have something better and you're about to find out first hand."

Without even knowing what he was doing Ricky pulled out _Akaikyuuketsuki_ and threw it at the pirates, **"RED EYE… BOOMERANG!"** he heard himself shout. The red blade whizzed out at the pirate, but they managed to get out of the way.

"You missed you red eyed brat!" one of the pirates taunted.

"Heh-heh-heh," Ricky chuckled in a loud laugh unlike his own. "You'd think that wouldn't you?" Ricky felt his arm raised and pulled back, **SLA-SLISH! **The red blade came flying over and slashed THROUGH a pirate and kept on going. **SLA-SLISH! SLA-SLAK! SLISH! CHUNK!** Ricky stared in horror as he felt himself telekinetically using his sword to slaughter the pirates. In a matter of second they were all on the ground dead.

"_What just happened? I killed them… but I wasn't…"_

"_**No… WE killed them. You see brat, you don't control the Devil's Eye… THE DEVIL'S EYE CONTROLS YOU! HEH-HEH-HEH!" **_**(A/N:** I have the strangest urge to make a Soviet Russia joke.**)**_**  
**_

Ricky felt himself hold out his hand and his sword pulled itself out of the pirate's chest where it was lodged and floated over to him. Ricky ran an uncontrolled hand over the red blade then brought the blood to his lips and licked it off his finger.

"_**Taste that? It's the blood of the first of many victims to come. No one shall see the Devil's Eye… all of the humans shall die!"**_

"_You're a monster…"_

"_**Heh-heh-heh, actually YOU'RE a monster. YOU killed them."**_

"_No… I didn't… it… no… I have morals… I don't kill people without a reason…"_

"_**Heh-heh-heh! Morals? You mean the ones that old man taught you? Don't make me laugh. You're a blood thirsty killer and unfortunately for you… YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IN THE MATTER!"**_

_Akaikyuuketsuki_ was put away in its sheath telekinetically, then Ricky lifted up off of the ground and levitated to the shore where he found the ship the pirates of the pirates he had killed. _**"I don't need this pathetic piece of drift wood to transport myself. Watch this brat." **_Ricky held out his hand and then yanked them back, **KRAK!** THE ENTIRE DECK OF THE SHIP WAS TORN OFF AND FLOATED UP INTO THE AIR!

The deck crumbled until it was an exact rectangle then it floated over and landed in front of him. _"And you called the ship a pathetic piece of drift wood."_

"_**Its all about striking fear into the one you're about to kill. If they see you approaching on a ship, you're just a pirate. But if they see you approaching on a floating piece of wood… you're a demon.**_ _**Now we're ready to – what's that?"**_

Ricky head turned and he caught sight of a fin out in the water. _**"Hello fishy…" **_

"No… no… SHANE!" Ricky screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping to save the shark that had been following him around for the last few months. "SWIM AWAY! SWIM AWAY! GET OUT OF HERE!"

Unfortunately the shark didn't heed Ricky's warning and was surprised to find itself suddenly yanked up out of the water and into the air. The disgruntled blue shark with long long jagged nose thrashed around in midair as he found himself unable to breathe now that he was out of the water.

"NO! SHANE NO!" Ricky hollered as his shark 'friend' began suffocating as the air rushed through its gills. Ricky was desperate, sure the shark had tried to eat him for the last few months, but he didn't want to kill him. **WHAP! **Using his last ounce of control Ricky reached out with his left arm and slapped his right arm which he was using to telekinetically hold the large fish out of the water. **SPLASH! **Suddenly released from the telekinetic hold, Shane splashed back down into the water. "SWIM AWAY SHANE! SWIM AWAY!"

"_**You little fool… you can't fight me… you're nowhere near strong enough…"**_

Again Ricky's right arm shot out and the shark that had been attempting to swim away was once again yanked up out of the water. "RED EYE… TOSS!" Ricky's arm snapped to the side and the shark came flying towards him and landed on the shore, **THUD! **Shane thrashed on the sand, once again unable to breathe.

"Shane no, no…" Ricky made to dash for the aquatic animal in an attempt to get it back in the water. But Ricky's right arm suddenly veered around and punched _him_ in the stomach **POW!** Ricky went flying backwards and went crashing down on his back. Ricky rolled over and attempted to fight back up, but his right arm was on his back pressing him down into the sand and preventing him from getting up. "NOOOOOO! SHANE! SHAAAAANNNNEEE!" Ricky was rooted to his spot and watched in horror as the shark's movements slowed and its breath left it, Ricky closed his left eye so he wouldn't see it but the view from his right eye was broadcasted into his brain forcing him to watch. A tear dripped down out of Ricky's left eye and ran down his face, "I'm sorry Shane… I'm so sorry…" Eventually the shark's movements stopped completely… Shane was dead.

**(A/N: That's it for the death in this chapter.)**

"_**HEH-HEH-HEH! That stupid fish's death marks the beginning of my reign of terror. You can't stop me. No one can." **_Ricky stared at the dead shark, killing those pirates was one thing but this was something… no… some_one_ that he knew. Yes the fish had spent the passed few months trying to eat him but that was their relationship and the thought of killing the shark had never crossed his mind. But that's what he had done. Whitebeard had taught Ricky morals and that killing was wrong and unnecessary. While he hadn't done it directly, Ricky had still made the mistake of putting the accursed thing into his head. Ricky had killed his friend.

"_Please… can we… can we at least bury him? It'll be an official landmark of where your reign of terror began. Please… he was my friend…"_

"_**Very well. You're a clever little brat, I don't want to deal with your pathetic – but still annoying – attempts to stop me. The longer we're here the more time I have to take complete control. Your last moments of control will be spent making a grave to mark the start of my rampage."**_

Ricky slowly pushed himself up off of the ground and up to his feet. In a sudden act of desperation Ricky shot up his left arm and clawed at his right eye but his arm suddenly snapped to the side. **POW!** Ricky's right arm came up and punched him in the face sending Ricky tumbling down to the ground.

"_**You little fool… I knew what you were planning BEFORE YOU DID! Do you realize that even IF you managed to get me out, you'll kill yourself in the process? I've attached myself to your brain, removing me will kill you."**_

"_And what's so bad about that? I'll take you down with me. I'll have saved the world from your 'reign of terror'."_

"_**You stupid brat, even if you do die I'll remain active. You'll be a rotting corpse but I'll still be an eternal spirit. Someone wishing for the power to smite their enemies will come across me still lodged in your remains. They won't have the reluctance to kill and willingness to die that you do. You being alive is the only thing keeping someone worse from using my powers to terrorize the world. THAT is your curse. THAT is the curse of the Devil's Eye."**_

Ricky stayed silent, he couldn't think of any response to that. Even if he somehow died to keep the eye from doing anything, eventually someone else would come across it and they'd be cursed like him. Just seeing what he had done to his six victims made him sick to his stomach, he couldn't imagine another innocent person being forced to go through what he knew he was about to. He needed to live in spite of the eye. He needed to live to keep it from falling into someone else's hands. He needed to live and eventually find a way to stop it.

"_**Now then… we've got a grave to make." **_Ricky wasn't even controlling himself as he stood up then levitated Shane's body up off of the shore. He walked towards the cave, floating the shark corpse behind him and then tossed the dead fish into the opening of the cave, followed by the other five victims. _**"This cave will now be a tomb, marking the first of my many, many victims."**_ Ricky pulled off the white Whitebeard shirt he had been wearing and threw it in after the six corpses then smashed the roof of the cave with a hard kick, **THWHAM!** The entrance caved in sealing the cave off from the outside world. Ricky then spent the next few minutes making wooden tombstone out of the remains of the pirate ship. Using his sword he carved the eye's cryptic message into it.

'**Red Eye's reign of terror began here. All shall perish before the power of Red Eye.'**

Leaving the sign/tombstone there to be found by anyone else who came across the island, Ricky climbed on board the rectangle of wood that the eye had torn off of the pirate ship and it floated up off of the sand, then flew into the ocean and floated off into the horizon.

"_Is that going to be my name now? Red Eye?"_

"_**I'm actually quite pleased with you as my host. Your red sword and red hair will fit my demonic image nicely.**_ _**BUT NOW WE'RE OFF! THERE ARE PEOPLE TO KILL!"**_

**-End Flackback part X-**

So it's finally been fully explained. The 'Devil's Eye' has three abilities that it grants the user.

The first is telekinesis, the ability to move things with the mind. This ability can be used creatively to look like other things. For example, instead of moving an entire object all at once, the eye can be used to unleash a smaller more focused telekinetic 'push' or 'punch'. The telekinesis can be used on the user as well and lift them up off of the ground allowing them to 'levitate' or 'fly'.

The second ability is telepathy, the ability to transfer information between two people without the use of the five senses (six in Ricky's case). The eye enables the user to read the thoughts of the target. When reading the target's thoughts the user can rearrange them in order to find the thoughts they're looking for, sometimes the target can see their thoughts as the user looks through them. The telepathy also works in reverse and the user can send his own thoughts to someone else. Telekinesis and telepathy usually go hand-in-hand.

The final ability is enhanced UltraRed Vision (combination of Ultra Violet and Infra Red), the ability to see perfectly for long distances and beyond the visible light spectrum. The user can see the thermal energy produced by a person's body enabling them to see through things that a normal eye usually wouldn't, like smoke and pitch black darkness. It's a magic eye, it should have some kind of 'sight' based power.

Ricky's Origin continues next chapter where Ricky tells the Straw Hats how he was living in hell and how he finally escaped it.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!

Chisinau


	44. Chapter 43

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Living in Hell**

**-x-**

"That next year went from being the best to the worst of my life," Ricky said to the Straw Hats, all of whom were staring in different degrees of shock, disgust, and sympathy as he continued his character origin story. "I was in my own personal hell. The longer I used the eye, the less control I had. I had to watch as I killed countless people without being able to stop it. The worst part was since I could read minds, I could hear their dying thoughts. I heard them panicking and crying, the terror and the revulsion that they were feeling as I killed their friends and family in front of them. It was horrible."

Ricky suddenly put a hand over his mouth, then shot to his feet and ran to the railing and lost his lunch. He staggered back looking pale.

"I'm gonna say this now in case I ever lose control again," Ricky informed them. "One of the Devil's Eye's major weaknesses is that it can't instantly kill someone. There's something to be said about a person's own strength and will to live. As long as the person's still fighting it the Eye can't flat out snap your neck and kill you. Despite all of its talk, that's why it drew out the fight with Arlong, it had to weaken him and completely break his will before it could kill him. But in the end, I was the one who did that."

"But you can't break my neck anyway," Luffy pointed out as he grabbed the side of his head and snapped his head to the side, since his body was rubber his couldn't break his neck.

"I know," replied Ricky, "and it knows that too. That's why I was the one to talk you out of fighting Arlong. It knew I'd have to completely beat you to kill you, and even with its powers I'm not sure that I could. That's also why I didn't attack anyone with legendary strength. If I went and attacked someone like Whitebeard, Shanks, the Warlords of the Sea or some high ranked marines, even with my powers they'd still probably be able to beat me."

"But if you killed everyone you came across how to do you have a wanted poster?" questioned Usopp always one to spot details. "If no one lived after they saw you, how did the word get out that you were the one that killed them?"

"The eye kept leaving cryptic messages like the first one," Ricky explained. "It would wander into town, killing everyone, and then carve a message into the side of a building. The Marines were skeptical at first, they thought it was some kind of hoax, so the eye made a point to kill people while they were on a Transponder Snail, that way they could scream that they were being attacked by someone with a red eye. Eventually the evidence became overwhelming, even for those inept marine bastards, and Red Eye got a one hundred million berri bounty."

**-Ricky's Flashback part XI-**

"RED EYE IS HERE!" A marine captain screamed into his Transmitter Snail. "HE BOARDED MY SHIP AND HE'S KILLING EVERYONE HE COMES ACROSS! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"_**Stay calm,"**_ said the voice on the other end. _**"We'll try to send reinforcements."**_

"I don't have that long!" the captain screamed. "My entire crew is being wiped out as we speak!"

**KRASH!** The door to the captain's quarters came off of its hinges and fell into the room. A boy with matted and extremely messy red hair that covered most of his face with the exception of a glowing red eye stood there. "HE'S HERE!" screamed the captain as Red Eye stared at him and raised his arm up in front of him. The Captain felt his heart beat faster. "RED EYE'S HE—" The marine captain was cut off as the receiver was yanked out of his hand.

"That's rude, you know," the figure in the doorway remarked, "I come all this way to kill you and you can't even get off the phone."

The Marine Captain was terrified and dropped to his knees, "Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee don't kill me!" he begged in absolute terror, he was crying.

"That's odd…" Red Eye commented with a cold voice, "Your spirit's already broken and I haven't done anything to you yet."

"RED EYE… STRANGLE!" The demon with the red eye reached out his arm and closed his hand, the captain felt a squeezing sensation on his throat. It didn't let up, he couldn't breathe, but he was too scared to try to fight it. A thirty seconds later the captain had passed out, and a full minute later, he was no longer alive.

"_**Captain… Captain… what's happening?"**_ asked the voice on the other end of the Transponder Snail.

Red Eye raised an eyebrow and the receiver floated over to him. _**"Is Red Eye still there? What's going on? Captain?"**_

"I'm sorry, he's kind of… dead," Red Eye informed the person on the other end. "Can I take a message?"

"_**What are you talking about?"**_ asked the marine on the other end. _**"What happened? He stopped talking for five seconds! How do you know?"**_

"Heh-heh-heh, I'm pretty sure he's dead," said Red Eye, he turned to the unmoving captain, "HEY YOU! ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?"

"…" The corpse gave no response.

"I'm sorry, he's not answering," Red Eye apologized. "I'm pretty sure he's dead now."

"_**How do you… but… I was…"**_ the marine on the other end stammered. _**"If he's dead and you're telling me… then that means… YOU'RE RED EYE!"**_

**CLICK!** Red Eye Rick hung up the phone. Then turned and left the captain's quarters and wandered down to the very bottom of the ship. **Squeeek… squeeek… squeeeek… **The screws holding the hull of the ship together unscrewed themselves and dropped down to the ground, **SPLOOOOOSH!**

Water rushed into the ship and filled it. Red Eye fled the ship just as it sand to the bottom. Any marines that by some odd chance were still alive, drowned.

**-End Flashback part XI-**

"So what did you do?" Nami asked. "How'd you get back in control? When you were fighting Arlong at one point it looked like you regained control again."

"That was a unique circumstance," said Ricky. "The Devil's Eye wanted to kill Arlong but Luffy was getting in the way. I managed to convince the Eye to let me take control. It knew from my memories Luffy was strong and stubborn so it figured it would be easier having me get him out of the way, rather than having to kill him in order to kill Arlong."

"So if that was a _unique circumstance _how did you completely regain control?" questioned Usopp.

"I discovered that I could regain control over my body if I was sufficiently drunk," Ricky explained. "Alcohol affects the brain and that red parasite is connected to my brain. I have a high tolerance for alcohol, it doesn't. One night while I was drunk out of my mind I stole an eye patch from a dead pirate and hid it inside my boot. When I pass my alcohol tolerance, I black out and don't remember anything. All I knew the next day was that I had a way to beat the Eye. The Eye was so arrogant at this point that it felt anything I tried to do would be useless. I managed to convince the eye to go back to the East Blue and wreak some havoc there. The Eye agreed because it would be able to kill my Aunt, adoptive mother, and younger brother. Along the way… I stopped at the Baratie."

"Yeah, I remember that day," said Sanji. "That was when you _died _and scared off all the waiters_. _Coincidentally, that's also the day I took up smoking."

"If you want to tell them go ahead," Ricky offered. "My throat's getting dry."

**-Sanji's Flashback, but still Ricky's Origin part XII-**

"May I get you anything else milady?" a newly nineteen year old Sanji offered as he swooned over one of the female customers taking in her curves, her beautiful face and her silky blonde hair.

"Leave my wife alone!" snapped the female customer's husband.

**KREAK!** The door to the restaurant opened and in walked a figure with long messy red hair which had his face mostly covered. It appeared to be a young man based off of his physique so Sanji didn't immediately hit on it. He wore worn clothes that were covered in blood stains and black steel-bottomed boots. He also wore a blood stained blood-red cape that was fastened around his neck and fell down to the top of his boots. The mysterious person walked over to a table and sat down. The waiters in the room all turned and stared at Sanji wondering what to do. Since Sanji was the Assistant Head Chef, they listened to him. "Well, he's obviously hungry," Sanji said to the waiter closest to him. "Go see what he wants."

The waiter timidly went over to the man and took his order. Sanji watched as the man pulled a big sack out of his pocket and placed it on the table. The waiter ran back to Sanji less then a minute later. "He wants our entire stock of alcoholic drinks," the waiter reported. "He said he could afford it. What do we do?"

"Bring it to him," Sanji instructed, then he noticed a pair of beautiful women arriving and quickly ran over to the door to greet them.

An hour later the boy was still sitting at his table and had empty barrels and bottles of booze piled around him. "Well, go ask him to pay," Sanji told the waiter. The waiter timidly walked over to the boy but before he could reach him… **KA-BOOOOM! **The boy and his table exploded in a cloud of smoke, the customers all started screaming and Sanji helped the women make their way out of the restaurant.

When the smoke cleared the table, the bottles, and the boy were all gone. The only thing there was a hole in the wall. "H-he exploded!" a waiter shrieked. "HE DRANK TOO MUCH!"

"What's worse is, he didn't pay," Sanji realized. "The old geezer ain't gonna like this."

"'Ey! Sanji! What da heck is going on 'ere?" Patty demanded as he and a bunch of waiters and chefs came into the dining room after hearing the explosion.

"Some guy exploded after drinking too much," Sanji explained.

"What did he look like?" asked Patty.

"Don't know," Sanji replied, then he pointed to the waiter who had waited on the boy that had exploded. "Ask him."

"What did dat guy look like?" Patty asked the waiter.

"I didn't see much of his face it was covered by his long red hair … but he had this one red eye… it was glowing and when I looked at it directly I felt like I was gonna die," waiter answered. "I didn't want to ask where he got it the thing gave me the creeps. He just told me to bring him all the booze we had and showed me a big sack of coins."

"A glowing red eye?" Carne repeated as he came over. "YOU IDIOT! THAT WAS 'THE DEMON' RED EYE! THE NOTORIOUS MURDERER FROM THE GRAND LINE!"

"Who?" asked Sanji.

"It's said that he has a red eye that gives him demonic powers," Carne explained. "The wanted poster says flee-on-sight and that he's worth 100,000,000 berries. But he's killed anyone that's ever seen him. That's why no one really knows what he looks like."

"I JUST SAW HIM!" the waiter screamed. "HE'S GONNA KILL ME!"

"But didn't ya say da bum exploded?" asked Patty.

"HE'LL COME BACK FROM THE DEAD AND KILL ME ANYWAY!" the waiter shrieked. "WHAT IF HE THINKS THE STUFF I BROUGHT HIM MADE HIM EXPLODE? I'M GONNA DIE!"

"What if he doesn't remember who waited on him?" wondered another waiter. "WE COULD ALL BE KILLED!"

"CUT IT OUT YA' BUMS!" Patty snapped.

"If you shitheads can't handle pirates then you shouldn't work here," said Sanji. "I don't see what everyone's getting so worked up about. The guy's gone now anyway, if you're not gonna toughen up, then leave."

"_You're_ not going to be hunted down and killed by an angry demon!" a waiter exclaimed. "I QUIT!"

"ME TOO!" agreed another waiter. Before Sanji, Patty, or Carne could stop them all of the waiters had quit and ran out of the Baratie and left without looking back.

"**Do any of you idiots wanna explain to me what just happened?"** came the voice of Head Chef Zeff.

"Shit," Sanji cursed when he realized that Head Chef was going to hold him responsible, he spotted a male customer lighting up a cigarette and swiped it from him and enjoyed his first of many cigarettes while he was made to repair the hole in the wall.

**-End Sanji's Flashback (Ricky's Flashback XII)-**

"That's three bad first impressions," Sanji concluded. "Because of Crap-Eye, all the waiter's jumped ship. The geezer blamed me for everything and I had to act as a waiter and fix the hole you made in the wall."

"Would you have preferred it if I ended up slaughtering everyone in the restaurant?' questioned Ricky. "The way I see it, I was doing you a service by publicly ridding the world of a demon. If I just put on the eye patch the night I was drunk, everyone would still be worried about Red Eye coming and killing them. Now at least there's piece of mind, because most of the world thinks Red Eye exploded."

"Besides," Ricky added, "I'm sure your restaurant must've gained a boost in popularity when it became known as the death place of Red Eye."

"I _did_ have to wait on a lot more customers then usual," Sanji admitted.

Ricky turned his attention back to the rest of the Straw Hats, "I drank everything that waiter gave me and managed to gain a sufficient amount of control. When I noticed the waiter coming to ask about payment I threw an Explosion Ball to create a cloud of smoke and fire then blasted a hole in the wall with the eye. I slipped the eye patch on, dove out of the hole and sailed off in a ship that a customer had come on."

"I guess I would've been worse if you ended up killing people," Sanji reasoned, "it would've been bad for business. A hole in the wall isn't that big of a price to pay."

"Glad you see it my way," Ricky replied, "Here's another weakness of the eye just in case…it can only use its powers on things it can see. If it's covered, it can't see anything so it can't use its powers on anything."

Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy all nodded, any advantage they could get over 'Psycho-Ricky' was a good thing.

"I was still shaken up after everything I had been through during that year," said Ricky as he resumed his story, "I needed a place to lay low and figure out what I was gonna do. I ended up in Shell Town where I met this little girl."

**-x-**

**Ricky and Rika:**

**-Flashback pt XIII-**

Ricky docked his ship in the harbor outside of Shell Town, he sat up and leaned back against the mast of his boat. His long red hair fell down passed his shoulders and was covering his face and his eye patch. For some strange reason, he couldn't grow facial hair. He hadn't cut his hair in a year but he was still completely clean shaven. His clothes were filthy and had dried blood all over them. He had ditched his cape a while ago not wanting to be recognized by anyone who happened to have been in the Baratie and had seen his 'death'. "I could use a bath," Ricky said to himself, and with that he rolled off the side of his boat and dropped down into the water,** SPLASH!**

Ricky pulled himself up onto the dock and noticed a small girl with dark brown hair wearing a green dress standing on the dock watching him. She looked to be about eight years old. "Hi!" the girl greeted him.

"Uh… hi," Ricky replied, before he shook out his long hair like a dog to dry it. He enjoyed the fact that he wasn't trying to kill her like he had with plenty other children over the last year.

"Heehee," he girl laughed. "You're silly. What's your name?"

"I'm Ricky."

"My name's Rika. Are you a pirate?"

"I'm a Treasure Hunter."

"Isn't that the same as a pirate?"

"No. Pirates are violent and do anything to get anything they want. Sometimes there'll be a pirate demented enough to attack and kill people just for the fun of it. A Treasure Hunter searches the world for unique treasures that no one's before. Piracy's illegal, treasure hunting isn't."

"So what are you doing here? Are you looking for some amazing treasure?"

"I just got through a… personal crisis and I'm still trying to recover from it."

"Can I help?" Rika offered, she looked like she genuinely wanted to help him, which confused Ricky.

"Why would you want to help me? You just met me."

"You look like you need it."

Ricky reached behind his head and tied his hair into a long pony tail that went down to his mid back. He desperately needed a haircut. His eye patch had been revealed and he noticed the girl looking at it.

"What happened to your eye?"

"A pirate cut it out because I had a treasure he wanted."

"That was mean. He sounds like Captain Morgan."

"Who?"

"Captain Morgan. He's the ranking officer in the marine base. He makes everyone pay taxes, we barely have any money. He and his son are big meanies."

"You're right, that doesn't sound very nice. Do you know somewhere I could get something to eat? Possibly some clothes?"

"My mommy runs a tavern. Come on, I'll take you there."

**-x-**

Ricky found himself sitting in a tavern with Rika sitting at a table with him. There was a bag beside his chair that contained some money, his sword, and his air-tight tin of explosion balls. The Devil's Eye hadn't exactly taken him shopping during its rampage, so all he had to wear were the wet clothes on his back. He had finished his meal and had spent the last ten minutes telling Rika some of his treasure hunting stories. Oddly enough, the other customers in the tavern were listening too.

"…the pirate didn't like the idea that I was keeping the treasure away from him so he attacked me and slashed my eye out. I'm not gonna show you cause there's an ugly 'x' shaped scar there. I never really stood a chance. I still don't know how I survived but I did and I just managed to get back here to the East Blue. I grew up on an island near here so I figured this would be a good place to recover."

The customers seemed relieved that he wasn't a pirate or a wanted criminal, Captain Morgan would probably think they were 'harboring' him and that would cause huge amounts of trouble.

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Rika.

"My younger brother is about to set sail on his own journey, I figured I'd wait around and see if he comes by. All I need is a place to stay maybe something to do."

Rika turned to her mother, Ririka, who was standing behind the bar silently listening to her daughter talk with the treasure hunter she found. "Mommy, do you think he could work here?"

"Rika, you know we don't have the money to hire anyone."

"In that case, you'd only have to pay me with two meals a day and I'd pay you weekly rent for the room," Ricky offered, "For six years I was raised by my Aunt who ran a tavern, I know what to do."

"He can have my room mommy," Rika suggested, she seemed determined to help her new friend. "I'll sleep with you."

"I won't be here for long just until I get back on my feet," Ricky added. "I have some money on me so I won't cause problems with Marine Captain Morgan."

**KRATA-KRASH!** The customers dove behind their tables and cowered in terror at the sound of the Captain's name.

"Do they do that every time someone says Captain Morgan?"

**KRASH!** Apparently they did.

"You can have the job if you promise never to do that again," Ririka decided.

"I'll promise never to say it on purpose," Ricky agreed. "I'll call him 'that marine' if it'll help."

"I guess that's all I can hope for. But before you started, get cleaned up a little bit. I can't have you scaring the customers away. You look like a pirate."

"Come on Ricky!" Rika chirped as she grabbed Ricky's hand and pulled him out of his chair. "We can get you some new clothes."

"I thought it was teenage girls that liked shopping," Ricky commented as the eight year old pulled him out of the tavern.

**-End Flashback part XIII-**

"That girl helped me so much, and had absolutely no reason to do it," Ricky continued. "That's why I'm so disgusted with what I've done… the eye made me kill girls just like her. I cut my hair short, bought my sunglasses and worked at the tavern so I could lay low. The island was out of the way but close to a Marine Base so I could keep with the times. A week later I saved Rika from the Captain's son's pet wolf only for Roronoa Zoro to get involved and agree to some month-long test of his manhood. I was perfectly willing to fight off any marines that came after Rika and her mother but I guess its best that I let things go the way they did."

"They looked like they needed you," Zoro said. "I thought you were actually her older brother and I didn't want to see your family get broken up. Although… I probably wouldn't have survived if you hadn't snuck me all that food late at night."

Ricky nodded and continued, "Three weeks later a pirate with a straw hat showed up and announced to the tavern that he was going to ask 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro to join his pirate crew."

**-Flashback part XIV-**

"I'll take three steaks," said a pirate with a Straw Hat. "Hey, what's with that eye patch?"

"_Blunt… eats a lot of meat… doesn't realize how much things cost … straw hat… scar under his left eye… that's gotta be Luffy."_ Ricky said to himself.

"Uh… a pirate cut my eye out," Ricky answered as he turned away from the table and hurried off. "I'll get your food."

"**Say, I wonder if Zoro is still being held at the Marine Base,"** Luffy's voice boomed through the restaurant. **KRASH!** Ricky stared as the customers all jumped behind their tables and hid.

Ricky surveyed the room with mild amusement. _"If only they knew the truth."_

The boy that was with Luffy whispered something to Luffy while the customers pulled themselves back up. **"I saw a notice on the streets that said Captain Morgan is at this base,"** said the boy that was with Luffy. **KRATA-KRASH!** Ricky shook his head as the customers all dove behind their tables again.

"_That's still fun to watch but at least I didn't do it this time,"_ Ricky said to himself. Ricky turned to face Luffy and shook his head. "Not that I mind but you should probably stop that," Ricky suggested. "If all the customers get scared away I might lose my job."

Luffy just shrugged and went back to his meal and the customers pulled themselves up off of the floor. Ricky glanced at Luffy's straw hat then walked off to intercept his boss before she found out what happened from someone else. But when he came back, Luffy and the boy with him were gone.

"He didn't pay," Ricky realized as he stared at the empty table piled up with empty plates that had once held meat on them. Ricky grinned slightly and shook his head, "some things never change."

**-End Flashback pt XIV-**

"Despite the fact that I was paying for Luffy's meal," Ricky continued, "seeing Luffy again made me realize something. He was just setting out, ready to achieve his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. I knew that he'd get really far, but would be off to a rough start. Thinking about Luffy fulfilling his dream made me remember mine. I thought about my dream of finding the One Piece the rest of the day."

**- Flashback part XV (This is the last one)-**

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Ricky asked the pretty orange haired girl sitting at the table. He'd been distracted most of the day and wasn't really paying much attention.

"Oh, you're sweet," the girl cooed. "I'll be fine for now. You can just bring me the bill."

"Alright," Ricky replied as he turned around and went off to the back. But when he came back the girl was gone. Ricky glanced out the window and saw the girl strutting down the street looking proud of herself. _"What the heck… THAT'S TWICE!" _Ricky couldn't help laughing, "Hah-ha, this is just not my day."

**-End Flashback part XV-**

Nami smiled and still looked proud of herself, she was happy that she had pulled it off especially now that she knew how much of a swindler he really was.

"That was actually the first time I've laughed since I got my new eye," said Ricky. "After everything I've seen and done on the Grand Line and after all those people I killed, there's not much that surprises me anymore. Luffy and Ace always ran off without paying so I expected that sort of thing from him but seeing someone with that kind of spirit… it really brought back memories of how things used to be. Those good memories from my past overrode the year-worth of bad ones. I don't think I'd have considered restarting if it wasn't for that," Ricky looked Nami directly in the eyes, "Thank you."

Nami smiled at him and shrugged it off as if it was no big deal. "Don't mention it, I was just being myself," she replied.

"I spent that day remembering who I was," Ricky continued. "I was Ricky the Treasure Hunter. I knew Luffy was on the island, an opportunity to start over had fallen right in my lap. Captain Morgan's son came in for his daily visit and the next thing I know the little bastard was decked with one punch. I decided to give being a pirate another shot and ended up becoming the First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Hahaha!" Luffy laughed. "Good thing you lost that game of rock-paper-scissors!"

"Yeah," said Ricky. No one noticed him rolling his eye.

"But then, when you fought Arlong how did you stay in control enough to get your eye patch back on after the fight?" questioned Nami. "If you didn't have control wouldn't the eye have killed all of us?"

"As soon as I got in the chart room I took over. I had complete control over my body and the Devil's Eye's powers. In the process of killing Arlong, I lit myself on fire. The eye was caught off guard and didn't know what I was doing but when the flames went out I was covered in burns. The Eye knew that I wouldn't be able to kill anyone else in the state I was in. It let me stay in control long enough to get my eye patch back on. It swore to kill you all as an act of revenge, by the way."

"But then… why didn't you kill me?" asked Usopp. "After you killed Chew, you had me in a choke hold but you spared me."

"I wanted to," Ricky admitted, much to the shock of Usopp. "Well, the Eye wanted to. It took some doing on my part, but I managed to intervene and keep it from finishing you off. You're Nakama, that gave me the motivation I needed to fight off some of its control. I didn't stop the Devil's Eye from killing those fishmen because I knew it would piss off Arlong. The longer I use the Eye the less control I have… until I eventually lose it completely."

"You couldn't help all those things you did," Luffy commented, he looked serious. "You wouldn't have thrown up if you weren't disgusted about it, I won't hold that stuff against you. Ricky, you're my brother, you were there for me when no one else was. You'll always be Nakama to me."

"I've done a lot of horrible things," Ricky reminded them, "but I'm trying to make up for that. I'd like to stay on the crew and go to the Grand Line but that's only if you want me to. If you feel it's too risky to keep me here I'll understand and I'll leave. Hopefully you'll never see me again."

Ricky paused and glanced around him at the different reactions from the crew, Luffy wasn't listening, Zoro rolled his eyes, Sanji's face was noticeably blank, Usopp looked frightened, while Nami looked horrified by the idea of never seeing Ricky again.

"I already told you," Luffy reminded him firmly. "But I guess you could ask them too."

"You saved Kaya," Usopp stated. "You helped defend my village from Kuro and you stopped the Eye from killing me. You only made the one mistake of putting the eye in your socket. I would've done the same thing in your situation so I can't hold it against you. You're a valued member of the crew."

"You were a member of the Whitebeard Pirates," Sanji pointed out, "And before that you were the Jack of Spades. You've explored all five of the world's oceans. That kind of experience will be helpful when we get to the Grand Line. We'd have to be stupid to throw you away."

Ricky nodded, that was three for and none against but he wanted a unanimous decision. He turned to the Navigator, "Nami?"

Nami threw her leg over Ricky and straddled his lap then stared him directly in the eye. **SWACK!** Nami slapped Ricky clear across the face, "OF COURSE I STILL WANT YOU ON THE CREW!" Nami shouted. But then her expression softened. "We're Nakama. Remember what you told me back on Commi Island? _'People make mistakes but when you're Nakama no one holds them against you. You learn to look passed the mistakes and forgive your crewmates because those people are precious to you.' _The only mistake you made was putting that thing in your eye socket. You deserve forgiveness as much as anyone else does."

Nami smiled at him, "Besides, if we kick you out, who's gonna help me keep these idiots in line?"

Ricky smiled and glanced over at Zoro who was still awake, "What about you?"

"Just shut up and let me get back to sleep," Zoro grumbled then he promptly went back to sleep.

"Well it's unanimous," Ricky commented. "You guys are stuck with me."

"Yup, stuck with you until we reach the Grand Line and I become King of the Pirates," Luffy agreed.

"Then I'll do everything I can to make sure you achieve that dream, you can count on that." Ricky smiled slightly. "You know, if there's one good thing about all this, it's that I don't have to wake up in the middle of the night to find Nami standing over me trying to pull my eye patch off."

The orange-haired girl that was still sitting on his lap flushed slightly, "I DID THAT _ONE_ TIME!" she snapped.

"And you got caught," Ricky reminded her. "With my hearing and some of the bad memories I have, I'm a borderline insomniac. Now… I know we're heading to the Grand Line but I think there's a stop we should make first."

"Really? Where?" asked Luffy. "Where could we go that's better than the Grand Line?"

"Well, if the navigator gets off of me I'll get the chart and show you," Ricky answered. Nami sprang up and backed away causing Ricky to give her a slightly amused smile as he stood up. At least things were never boring on the Going Merry.

**-x-**

It took four chapters but finally everything about 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Jack… I mean… Ricky has been explained. It was long, but it was three years worth of stuff. Chopper and Robin have long Origin Flashbacks too.

Last chapter I listed the three abilities of the Red Eye, this chapter I'll list its weaknesses.

First, it can't use its powers on things it can't see. If something's out of it's enhanced line of sight, its safe from its powers. Also, if it's covered, it can't see anything, and its abilities are rendered useless.

Second, the eye can't instantly kill someone. If a person's will is strong enough they can fight off the control on their body. A telekinetic blast to the stomach is one thing, but snapping someone's neck is another entirely. And against someone as strong-willed as Luffy, it'd be near impossible to kill him even if he wasn't made of rubber.

Third, the eye has a low alcohol tolerance. Like Ricky said, the eye is basically a parasite living off of his body. It needs a host to use any of its abilities. Whitebeard made sure that Ricky had a high tolerance for alcohol, the eye doesn't. When the Eye's drunk Ricky will only be a little buzzed and will still have control.

That's all for now, more might be revealed as the story progresses. Next chapter the Straw Hats are heading for Loguetown but before that the crew finds out that the Captain and First Mate are wanted.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	45. Chapter 44

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Wanted**

**-x-**

"You raised your price _again_!" Nami complained, she was wearing a green t-shirt and a short black skirt, "That's a little steep, don't you think?" Nami looked agitated as she held up her recently purchased newspaper in one hand and a few coins to pay for it in the other.

"Caw!" answered the seagull that had delivered the paper. It was wearing a white delivery cap and had a red bag labeled 'News Papers' to carry the newspapers and money.

"Raise your price again and I'll stop paying!" Nami threatened as she reluctantly handed over the money.

"Caw!" said the seagull as it saluted and then flew off. "CAW! CAAAAW!"

"What's the big deal? It's just one newspaper," Usopp pointed out, he was wearing his usual brown overalls, white sash, and green bandana.

"Just one paper?" Nami repeated, "I buy these every day."

"Yeah, but there's no need to save all your money anymore," Usopp reminded her.

"Don't be stupid," said Nami, "Now that Arlong's gone I can save money for me now."

"**I guess that's why you're making **_**me**_** pay for your daily newspaper then," **Ricky commented as he walked over. It had only been a couple of days since leaving Commi Island and Ricky was still covered in bandages but he was finally wearing his black steel soled boots again. The bandages on his legs could be seen between the bottom of the black shorts and the top of the black boots. His white button down shirt was opened revealing the bandages on his chest and stomach. He'd reduced the padding on his injured right shoulder which was healing nicely and was now only bandaged like the rest of his body.

"Hey, _you're_ the First Mate," Nami stated, "that makes _you _the crew's financial manager. Why should I waste _my_ money when paying for stuff is your job?"

Ricky's eye twitched while Nami stuck her tongue out at him. The navigator seemed quite pleased that she could now save money to buy whatever she wanted while the First Mate was responsible for paying for the essentials.

"Besides," Nami continued, "a newspaper only costs you a few berries a day. Its not that expensive and it's a worthwhile investment."

"Whatever," said Ricky, "would you mind letting me see that when you're done? I wanna check for new Wanted Posters, it always pays to know who you're up against."

"Yeah sure, when I'm done," Nami agreed as she sat down on a lounge chair, unfolded her paper and began to read.

Ricky walked over to Usopp and peered over his shoulder, the marksman was sitting on the deck working on… something.

"What've you got there Usopp?" asked Ricky, causing Usopp to jump due to the First Mate's sudden presence behind him.

"Geez, don't scare me like that!" Usopp complained, "I'm in the middle of developing my Special Tabasco Star." Usopp collected his nerves and held a small red ball up in front of him with one hand while he carefully held a bottle of Tabasco sauce up above it. "An eye-full of this will make any bad guy suffer in pain."

**THWAK! "Hands off!"** came a shout. Luffy, who was wearing his usual red vest, blue shorts, straw hat, and sandals, was kicked hard and came flying over to Usopp and slammed into him, **KRASH! **The sudden contact shook Usopp's hands and he accidentally spilled the incredibly hot Tabasco sauce in his eyes, **splish!**

**FWOOOSSSH!** Ricky jumped back as comedic flames suddenly shot out of Usopp's eyes, "WAAAAAAAHHHH!" Usopp cried out in pain.

Ricky stood still and struggled to keep a straight face as Usopp ran frantically around the deck yelping in pain as he attempted to get the Tabasco Sauce out of his eyes. "OWWW! OWWW! OWW!"

"What? Can't I just have one?" Luffy pleaded as he sat up and stared at Sanji, oblivious to Usopp's pain.

"NO!" Sanji refused as he stood in front of the tangerine orchard. He wore his usual black pants and shoes, as well as his blue button-down shirt. He'd left his suit jacket off so he could enjoy the good weather. "This is Miss. Nami's tangerine orchard! I won't let anyone lay a finger on it!"

"OWWWW! AAAAYYEEE! MYYY EEEEYYYYEEE!" Usopp screamed as he continued to run around the deck, ignored by everyone but the amused First Mate.

Ricky's mouth twitched and he eventually lost his battle to keep his composure and let out a short bark of laughter, "Hah-ha!"

Nami peered over her newspaper and smiled, Ricky laughing was an extremely rare occurrence and his natural laugh sounded so much better than the creepy laugh from when the Devil's Eye was in control.

"Miss. Nami!" Sanji called out with hearts in his eyes, "Do you see how well I'm protecting your trees?"

"Thank you Sanji," Nami replied as she went back to her paper. With Ricky paying for anything she needed, Sanji cooking and catering to her every whim, Usopp providing occasional entertainment, and Luffy fighting off any freakishly strong opponents, the orange-haired thief-turned-pirate had it made.

"She's got him wrapped around her finger," Zoro commented, he was wearing his usual outfit and was casually resting against the railing, having previously been sleeping on the deck he'd been woken up by the sound of Luffy getting kicked and Usopp screaming.

"YEEEOOWWW!" Usopp continued to shout as he ran around the deck.

**WHAP! **Ricky reached out and caught Usopp by the overalls as he ran passed then dragged him over to the railing, "Just wash it out," he instructed as he threw Usopp overboard,** SPLASH!**

"I only wanted one tangerine," said Luffy as he went over to the railing and sat down on it. "Could I at least have one?"

"NO!" Sanji once again refused.

"Nyyyaaa!" Luffy stuck out his tongue, "Oh well, I'm in too good a mood to fight. We're finally heading to the Grand Line!"

"LET ME BACK ON THE SHIP!" Usopp shouted.

Ricky walked over to the railing and looked over at Usopp in the water, he lifted his eye patch exposing the Devil's Eye then reached his hand downward and then pulled it back, **FWOOSH! **Usopp came flying up out of the water and flew up over the ship, Ricky turned around and brought his arm down bringing Usopp crashing back down to the deck. **KRASH!** Ricky casually lowered his eye patch the usage of the Eye's telekinetic abilities had been too brief for the Eye to take control. "Better?" Ricky inquired.

"Well, my eye's not hurting anymore," Usopp commented. "But now I'm hurting all over, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Ricky replied.

"I was being sarcastic!" Usopp snapped.

"I know," said Ricky.

"The World's sure is in turmoil," Nami remarked as she continued to read her newspaper. "They just had another Coup in Vira." **Fwip!** Two slips of paper fell free from the newspaper and floated passed Luffy before they landed on the deck next to Usopp.

"What're those?" Luffy wondered as he stared at two pieces of paper.

"I'll take those," Ricky announced as he bent down and picked up the two sheets of paper. "Oh, looks like we're wanted."

"Oh, that's good," Luffy replied, while the rest of the crew took a moment to process what Ricky had just said.

"WWWHHAAAAAATTTT?" Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro all shouted at the same time.

**-x-**

Yesterday, deep in the Grand Line, at Marineford the Marine Headquarters an important meeting was taking place concerning a new crew of pirates from the East Blue. A large group of high ranked marine officials were gathered in one room.

"So you're saying that our branches of power have been unable to handle these pirates?" asked a man.

"That is correct," answered Commander Brandnew, a marine with green hair, sunglasses, purple pants, and a marine uniform with diagonal blue and white stripes. He was standing in front of a board with the wanted posters of Buggy, Krieg, and Arlong on it. "On the crew's first outing they defeated Marine Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan. Since then they've shown no signs of slowing down. Buggy the Clown, fifteen million, 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg, seventeen million, Fishman Pirate 'Saw Tooth' Arlong, twenty million. These pirates were all big players in the East Blue and all had bounties of over ten million berries. By comparison, the average bounty in the East Blue is only three million."

**WHAM!** Commander Brandnew slammed two wanted posters onto the board on top of Arlong's poster, "All of them were defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates. Rumor has it that the First Mate was the one to kill the dreaded Arlong, not the captain. So I feel a starting bounty of thirty million for the Captain, while globally unprecedented is necessary. We need to rid ourselves of there parasites before they have a chance to spread."

The top of two new posters was of 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. He had a bounty worth 30,000,000 berries. The picture depicted a black haired teen with a scar under his left eye that looked a lot like a monkey. He was wearing a straw hat and a big goofy smile. In the bottom left corner of the poster was the back of a person's head. The person had curly black hair, a green bandana, and brown overalls. Apparently the back of Usopp's head had been caught in Luffy's mug-shot.

The other poster was of 'One Eye' Ricky, First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, his bounty was 20,000,000 berries. This pirate appeared to be a couple years older than the captain and looked like a fox. He had short red hair, an eye patch, and a sly grin on his face. But what was unsettling about the picture was that the depicted pirate was making an offensive gesture involving the use of one of his fingers. A padded shoulder and a white shirt were visible at the very bottom of the picture.

"Absolutely," one of the other marines agreed.

Outside of Marine Headquarters, entire squadrons of marines were gathered, they numbered near a thousand. A high ranked marine by the name of Vice Admiral John Giant walked out onto the balcony and addressed the gathered soldiers, he was wearing a red marine hat with a white feather in it, an impressive white uniform lined in red with five medals pinned to his chest on the left side of his jacket.

"ANYONE WHO WANT'S TO LEAVE IS FREE TO DO SO NOW! WE ARE THE STRONGHOLD OF LIBERTY AND THE BASTION OF PEACE IN THIS WORLD! WEAKNESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS AGE OF PIRATES! THE PUBLIC COUNTS ON US AS THE MARINES TO BE THE RIGHTEOUS ONES! IF THERE IS EVIL ON THE SEAS, THEN WE THE MARINES, MUST DRIVE IT AWAY AT MOST PREJUDICE! IN THE NAME OF ABSOLUTE JUSTICE!"

"YES SIR!" chorused the hundreds of gathered marines.

**-x-**

"MISS. KAYA! MISS. KAYA!" came a loud shout from inside a large mansion on the outskirts of Syrup Village. Merry the Butler frantically ran up some stairs and burst through a pair of doors. Kaya looked up from the paperwork on the desk she was sitting at in her bedroom, she was hard at work at becoming a doctor. "MISS IT'S AMAZING!"

"Merry, what's wrong?" asked Kaya who was wearing some reading glasses while she filled out the paperwork she was working on.

"Have you seen these flyers?" questioned Merry as he held up a pair of familiar wanted posters.

Kaya stood up and took off her glasses, then stared at the posters Merry was holding up, "Look, its Usopp!" Kaya exclaimed as she noticed the back of Usopp's head in the corner of Luffy's wanted poster. "See, that's definitely Usopp facing the other way!"

"Hey, you know what, you're right!" Merry realized as he took a good look at the posters.

"Heehee," Kaya laughed as she ran to the window and threw it opened and stared out at the familiar tree that Usopp used to sit on and tell her stories from.

"_Hey, you're looking a whole lot better today," Usopp commented in Kaya's memories,_ _"Now, what kind of story should I tell?"_

"That's great news," said Kaya, "Usopp is moving towards his dream." Merry walked up behind Kaya as she continued to stare out the window. "You know, I'm still chasing after my dream, I hope we'll meet again, perhaps out dreams will cross paths and when they do we'll meet as old friends who finally became the people we always wanted to be."

**-x-**

In the Marine Base on the outskirts of Shell Down, Coby who was working as chore boy, stopped sweeping the floors for a moment and stared at the two new wanted posters on the wall.

"Haha! Finally! Finally!" Coby exclaimed, "Luffy, you're finally living your dream!"

"_I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates," said Luffy in Coby's memories._

Coby fondly remembered Luffy as he bravely fought against Marine Captain Morgan and how he, Commander Ripper and the rest of the gathered marines all saluted the three Straw Hat Pirates as they sailed off after saving the town.

"But if we meet again, we will meet as enemies," Coby resolved, even though he was a Chore Boy, he was still a marine and Luffy was a pirate.

**-x-**

Further inside the Marine Base, a marine walked up to a cell and unrolled the same pair of wanted posters. Former Marine Captain Morgan sat against the wall in black and white striped prisoner clothes and glared at the two familiar faces. They were the reason he was in this damn cell.

**-x-**

"Mommy! Mommy!" Rika called out as she came running to the tavern carrying yet another pair of the same two wanted posters. "Look its Big Brother!"

Rika jumped up onto a stool and placed the two wanted posters down on the counter of the bar so Ririka could see them. Ririka smiled and remembered the three teenagers that had saved their town while Rika had memories involving her 'big brother' who was now worth 20,000,000 berries.

"_Hi!" Rika greeted the strange red-haired man as he popped up out of the water after he'd flopped off of the side of his boat. He had extremely messy long red hair. _

"_Uh… hi," he replied before he shook out his hair like a dog to dry it. _

"_Heehee," Rika giggled. "You're silly. What's your name?"_

"_I'm Ricky."_

"_My name's Rika. Are you a pirate?"_

"_Since there's a big marine base here, I'm gonna say no. I'm a Treasure Hunter."_

"_Isn't that the same as a pirate?"_

"_No. Pirates are violent and do anything to get anything they want. Sometimes there'll be a pirate demented enough to attack and kill people just for the fun of it. A Treasure Hunter searches the world for unique treasures that no one's before."_

"I'm proud of you Big Brother," Rika whispered as she smiled at the poster.

**-x-**

Somewhere in the East Blue the pirate ship of the Black Cat Pirates was sailing around attempting to avoid the marines. They'd somehow managed to reattach the sternpost after Luffy had ripped it off.

"CAPTAIN!" shouted Random Pirate Number Three after he noticed a pair of familiar pirates in the latest collection of wanted posters.

Captain Kuro was sitting in the dark in his captain's quarters, he still hadn't gotten over the fact that he'd been beaten by the upstart and his three-year plan had failed.

Kuro reached up and adjusted his glasses with his palm and refrained from slashing RP3 as he ran into the room with a pair of wanted posters.

**-x-**

At the Baratie customers were happily eating in the dining room while the wanted poster of 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy had been nailed to one of the walls for everyone to see.

In the kitchen the cooks were all cooking for their customers. Head Chef Zeff, formerly known as 'Red Shoes' Zeff, carefully handled a pan as he remembered the rubber pirate that had saved his restaurant.

"_I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!" Luffy yelled at Don Krieg, while still wearing the chore boy apron. "AND MY CREW IS GOING TO FIND ONE PIECE!"_

"_Your dream's foolish," Sanji said to Luffy before he agreed to set off and join the Straw Hat Pirates, "but then again, so is mine. Now is as good a time as any, why not start my quest now."_

Zeff remembered the Assistant Head Chef as he carefully set up a plate for a customer, then left it on a table for someone to take out and left the kitchen. Zeff walked out of the restaurant and stood on the deck of the Baratie and stared out at the sea.

"_Say, have you ever heard of the All Blue?" Sanji asked Luffy, there was no mistaking the smile on the blond haired teen's face._

"_Thanks you geezer, I'll never forget your kindness!" Sanji vowed as he bowed to Zeff and the other chefs before he left with Luffy._

Zeff smiled happily knowing that Sanji was out pursuing both of their dreams of finding the legendary ocean known as the All Blue.

**-x-**

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed as he held up his wanted poster. "Hahahahaha! Alright guys, we're wanted criminals!" Usopp and Sanji stood nearby glancing at their excited captain. Nami was sitting on the railing while Ricky sat next to her staring down at his own poster.

"'_Wanted Dead or Alive'" _Usopp read off of Luffy's poster, "THIRTY MILLION BERRIES?"

"THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF BERRIES!" said Luffy.

"I'm worth twenty million," Ricky observed, he was more composed then the captain.

"Check it out, I'll be seen all around the world!" Usopp pointed out as he pointed to the back of his head in Luffy's wanted poster. "Girls might even fall for me!"

**ZIP!** Sanji was standing in front of Luffy's poster a split second later staring at it intently, "What? They put long nose in and left me out?" Sanji complained, "Where are you? I don't see you anywhere."

"Ahahahaha!" Usopp laughed as he pointed to his head in the bottom left corner.

"That's just the back of your head," Sanji grumbled, who was now sitting on the deck hugging his arms to his chest. He looked depressed that he'd gotten so worked up over the back of Usopp's head. "That's not so great."

"Aw, don't be so glum!" Usopp told Sanji in an attempt to cheer him up, "you don't have to be a captain to get your picture on one of these things."

"Huh? Is that true?" asked Sanji.

"Yeah," Usopp replied, "just work really hard."

"Or blow Arlong's head off," Ricky supplied, "whatever's easier."

"HAHAHAHAHAH!" Luffy laughed, "LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE!"

"As usual, you guys have no idea how serious this is," Nami muttered. "This means all of our lives we'll be in constant danger."

Ricky lightly patted her on the back, "Look at it this way," he attempted to reassure her, "With Luffy's tendency for getting in trouble it was bound to happen some time. And if he's gonna become King of the Pirates then this bounty is nothing compared to what it could be. I'm just happy I finally have a Wanted Poster worth having."

Nami turned and stared at him and remembered that while his other wanted poster was 100,000,000 berries, it was on account of him being an out-of-control, blood-thirsty monster, apparently he was glad he'd become a wanted fugitive due to his own merits now.

Nami peered over Ricky's shoulder, her eye twitched when she noticed the offensive pose Ricky was holding. "Couldn't you have taken a better picture?" asked Nami.

"It's a step up from my other one," Ricky reminded her.

"Be that as it may, this is no time to be relaxing in the East Blue," said Nami, "we need to get out of here and head for the Grand Line."

"Actually," Ricky replied. "We still have a stop to make first."

"Where's that?" asked Nami as she reached into the neck of her green t-shirt and pulled out a chart of the East Blue.

Ricky grinned, "Gotta love Anime Law 37."

"What was that?" Nami inquired.

"Nothing," Ricky quickly said, "let me see the map."

Nami unrolled the chart to show the East Blue and Ricky peered over her shoulder, "Here," he said as he pointed to an island, "We need to go to Loguetown."

"Loguetown, isn't that the place known as _'the Town of the Beginning and the End'_?" asked Nami, "Why would we want to go there?"

"Hey Luffy," Ricky called out, getting the Captain's attention, "Wanna see the place where the Pirate King was born and executed?"

"THE PLACE WHERE GOLD ROGER WAS BORN?" Luffy repeated in surprise. "THE PLACE WHERE THE AGE OF PIRATE BEGAN? AAWEEESSOOOMMEE!"

Ricky grinned and turned to Nami, "You can take that as a yes," he informed her, "it'll be a good place to stop off and get some supplies before we head for the Grand Line. As long as we lay low it should be a nice relaxing trip."

"Alright," Nami agreed as she got off of the railing, "I suppose it's not too far out of the way. I'll go adjust our course." Ricky remained seated on the railing and watched Luffy as he attempted to explain to Sanji and Usopp where they were headed while Nami went off to change their course.

On the other side of the ship, Zoro was thinking over what he'd just heard. _"That's fifty million berries between the two of them,"_ Zoro thought to himself, _"With that amount I bet Headquarters will take action. Not to mention there'll be bounty hunters to deal with. And with those bounties, they'll be good."_

**-x-**

**The Word Spreads:**

**-x-**

Somewhere else in the East Blue a shabby looking Marine Vessel with pieces of wooden patchwork was casually drifting along. The crew was all lazing about either fishing or napping. It didn't look like the most impressive vessel in the Marine Fleet.

"Caw!" A newspaper delivery seagull spotted the ship and swooped in to make yet another delivery.

Inside the captain's quarters a familiar marine was lying back in a chair with his feet up on a table. He was drinking a bottle of cheap wine and it looked like he'd fallen from glory after his run-in with Sanji at the Baratie.

"Damn it, this cheap swirl makes me feel terrible," former Lieutenant Fullbody groaned, he was too drunk off of the cheap wine to realize that he was talking out loud rather than thinking to himself. "Oh man, how I long for the old days when I was surrounded by beautiful women and fine wine. One chance encounter with that horrible waiter changed the course of my entire life. Because of him the Marines said I tarnished their good name and I lost my rank of Marine Lieutenant, now I'm in charge of this hunk of junk in the middle of nowhere. Uggghhh…"

On the wall of Fullbody's office was a collection of Wanted Posters, there was Alvida, Buggy, Krieg, Wild Joe, Kuro, and Arlong. The latter three had big red x's going through them signifying that those pirates were dead… or in Kuro's place at least thought to be.

**KNOCK! KNOCK!** "Former Lieutenant Fullbody!" a marine called out as he pounded on the door. **KRESH!** The door was knocked off of its hinges and the marine stumbled into the room and went crashing down to the floor, **KRASH!**

"What do you want, you twit!" Fullbody demanded.

"We have new Wanted Posters!" the marine answered as he held up Luffy and Ricky's new wanted posters.

"Ugghh," Fullbody sighed as he pointed at the wall of Wanted Posters, "just put 'em over there. There's nothing we can do seeing as were in the middle of the damn…" Fullbody trailed off when he recognized Luffy's picture, "That face… I know I've seen it before…"

"_I am Lieutenant 'Iron Fist' Fullbody, of the Marines," Fullbody announced, as he surveyed the sorry-looking crew of pirates on the tiny caravel. "Who is your Captain?"_

"_I am! Monkey D. Luffy!" the pirate replied wearing the straw hat. "We just finished our flag two days ago."_

"_I'm Usopp!" the boy added standing next to the captain. He had a long nose and curly black hair._

"Yeah, that's him alright," Fullbody realized. "Thank you God for giving me the chance to climb out of this hellish pit of endless boredom!" Fullbody stood up and shook off his drunken stupor and now looked determined, "That brat! Catching him will be easy! And when I do that, the Marines will certainly restore me to full rank!"

"FALL IN!" Fullbody shouted as he burst out of his quarters and addressed his lazy crew. Fullbody stood and survey the sorry-looking band of marines that were under his command. They seemed out of shape and tired from doing nothing all this time. "MEN! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

"Battle, huh?" questioned one of the marines, "So when's it supposed to happen?"

"Well… I suppose we should start at the sea restaurant," Fullbody reasoned.

"Really a restaurant!" asked an excited fat marine, "awesome, a big feast!"

"HOORAY!" the band of marines cheered.

"THERE'LL BE NO FEAST!" Fullbody yelled, but he was suddenly cut off when he noticed an oddly familiar caravel sailing passed. The sail had a skull and cross bones with a big goofy smile and a straw hat. Fullbody stared in surprise and recognized the two from the other day sitting on the railing.

"THAT WAS HIM!" Fullbody exclaimed. "HARD TO PORT! OUR TARGET'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!"

"It looks like I just came out of battle," Luffy commented as he sat on the railing of the Going Merry with Usopp standing behind him. The ship they'd just passed changed directions and suddenly came back. "That ship barely floats!"

"That's a real shame," said Usopp, "putting scrap ships in the sea."

"THIS IS NOT A SCRAP SHIP!" shouted a somewhat familiar marine. "ARE YOU GUYS BLIND! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE FACE OF 'IRON FIST' FULLBODY!"

"Oh yeah!" Luffy realized, "you're that marine-guy I saw one time! Are you stranded? Need some help?"

"Grrr… QUIT FOOLING AROUND!" Fullbody growled as Straw Hat once again mocked his ship. "OUR MEETING HERE SPELLS THE END FOR YOU! MONKEY D. LUFFY… YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" Fullbody pulled out Luffy's wanted poster and held it up.

"Yup, that's me alright!" Luffy replied.

"And the back of my head!" Usopp added.

"It says dead _or _alive," Fullbody pointed out, "a key distinction! NOW TAKE AIM MEN!" **CRANK! CRANK! **One of Fullbody's marines aimed an extremely dirty cannon at the Going Merry.

"Huh, what's all that noise?" Nami wondered, as she looked up from her newspaper.

"Apparently we're under attack," Ricky remarked as he casually leaning back against the railing on the other side of the ship from Luffy. "I'd do something but honestly I wanna see if that cannon can actually fire."

In the galley, Sanji was busy cooking and didn't hear the commotion coming from outside. But all the shouting had woken Zoro, who got up and picked up his sword then slowly made his way over to Luffy.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Usopp screamed when he saw the cannon pointed at them.

"I guess they're gonna shoot," Luffy observed.

"THEY'RE AIMING RIGHT AT US!" Usopp shrieked as he quickly backed away from Luffy. "THIS IS BAD!"

"I got this!" Luffy assured him as he got ready to pull his arm back, "just leave it to me!"

"Why don't you let me handle this, Luffy," Zoro suggested, as he came up behind Luffy.

"That's probably a good idea," Ricky advised, still not moving from his spot, "remember what happened last time this guy shot a cannonball at us? You attempted to shoot it back and ended up hitting a restaurant and almost ended up working there for a year."

"Yeah, relax!" Usopp agreed as he grabbed Luffy and pulled him away, "Trust us, all you'll do is mess this up. Now come on over here."

"Your story ends here!" Fullbody proclaimed as he gave the thumbs down signal, which was the signal to fire the cannon.

**KA-BOOOM! **The beat-up looking cannon actually fired and launched a cannon ball at the Going Merry but Zoro calmly stood in its way and drew his sword _Wado Ichimonji_, **SLISH!** ZORO CUT THE CANNONBALL CLEAN IN HALF! **Shwooooo… **Ricky remained in his spot leaning against the railing on the other side of the ship and watched as the two halves of the cannonball flew passed him and landed in the water, **SPLA-SPLASH!**

"WHOA! THAT'S COOL!" Luffy exclaimed while Usopp stared in surprise. On board Fullbody's ship all the marines were staring in terror. THESE WEREN'T NORMAL PIRATES!

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Fullbody shouted.

"Damn it," Sanji cursed, the sound of the cannon firing had finally drawn his attention away from what he was cooking. "What's all that commotion going on?"

"I was trying to take a nap," said Zoro as he glared at Fullbody.

"THERE'S LOT'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!" Fullbody yelled, "FIRE!"

**Chuka-chuka-chuka! **The cannon was once again aimed at the Going Merry.

"Oh this is bad," Luffy commented.

"What's bad?" questioned Usopp.

**KA-BOOOM! **The cannon was fired but the old cannon couldn't take so much use after being neglected for so long and ended up backfiring, this resulted in Fullbody and his squad of marines getting covered in a cloud of smoke.

Ricky smiled and looked amused while Fullbody and his marines all stood in shock covered in smoke and dust. "Too bad," said Luffy, "their cannon had cracks in it."

"That _is_ too bad," Usopp agreed.

**WHAM!** Fullbody's ship slammed into the Going Merry, it looked like the disgraced marine didn't know when to give up. "YOU RETCHED LITTLE BRATS!" Fullbody yelled. "NEVER MOCK A FORMER MARINE LIEUTENANT! WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO HAND TO HAND! MEN, FOLLOW ME!" **SHOO!** Fullbody leapt from his ship onto the Going Merry and was reluctantly followed by his squad.

"YOUR HEAD IS MINE!" Fullbody shouted as he charged at Luffy and swung his fist, which still had an iron knuckle-duster on it, **POW!** Fullbody socked Luffy in the face, but was taken by surprise when Luffy's head and neck stretched backwards from the impact, **VREEEEN! **

"Catch my hat Ricky," Luffy requested, who's head ended up over the railing on the other side of the ship. **BOING! **Luffy's head suddenly shot back towards Fullbody, **whap!** Ricky casually reached out and caught Luffy's straw hat when it was left behind by Luffy's fast-moving head. "GUM… GUM… BELL!" **KER-RACK!** Luffy's hard head slammed into Fullbody's and knocked the former Lieutenant hard into the railing, **WHAM!**

**THWAK-WAK-WAK! THWHAM!** The squad of marines was sent flying from the Going Merry back to the shabby marine vessel courtesy of a series of fancy kicks from Sanji.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Fullbody screamed when he saw Sanji standing in front of him wearing a pink apron and holding a frying pan.

"You've got a lot of balls tough guy!" said Sanji, "picking a fight during lunch, I should _kill _you. Unless you made a reservation, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"WWWWAAAAHHHHHH!" Fullbody shrieked as he leapt from the Going Merry to his ship then along with his squad of marines he dove into the water to escape the cook that had ruined his life. **SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!**

"Whoa, I guess he's done," Luffy observed as he took his straw hat back from Ricky and put it on.

"Eh, he was all talk," said Usopp.

"That guy is still nothing but a wimp," Sanji commented.

"Come on you guys, can't you keep it down?" Nami complained, she was still sitting in her lounge chair attempting to read her paper. She hadn't move through the entire fight. "Honestly, I can't even read a paper."

"MISS. NAMI! I'VE FINISHED PREPARING YOU A DELICIOUS MEAL!" Sanji swooned, as the Going Merry sailed away from the Marine Vessel, leaving Fullbody in his men bobbing up and down in their wake.

**-x-**

Deep in the Grand Line on a wild island a pair of pirates were keeping a look out when one of them suddenly spotted a small coffin-shaped boat with a black sail.

"What's that?" the pirate wondered looking through a telescope he attempted to make out the lone figure in the boat.

"Let me see," the other pirate replied as he got up and approach his crewmate and glanced through the telescope to get a good look at the man in the boat. "GGAAAAAHHHH!" IT WAS 'HAWK EYE' MIHAWK, THE WORLD'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN!

Mihawk docked his ship and calmly walked ashore, he had his giant blade on his back as usual but wasn't intimidated in the slightest by the group of pirates that were pointing swords at him.

"Why are you here?" one of the pirates demanded. "Answer me Hawk Eye!"

"Just calm down," Mihawk replied. "Where is your leader? My business is with him."

The pirate ran off to find the captain while Mihawk took a moment to survey his surroundings. "Camping out on an island?" Mihawk observed, "What a carefree man."

"BOOOOOSSSSSS!" shouted the pirate who had run from Mihawk as he reached another group of pirates that were casually sitting under an umbrella.

**Thunk!** A mug of grog was slammed down in front of the frantic pirate, who quickly grabbed it and downed it to calm his nerves, **GULP! GULP! GULP! **"H-H-HAWK EYE!" the pirate stammered when he'd finished his drink. The pirate stopped and shook when he realized that the World's Greatest Swordsman was standing right behind him, he quickly scrambled out of the way leaving his captain to deal with the Warlord.

"Hey there Hawk Eye," greeted the red haired captain. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Have you come to fight me? Cause I'm not feeling so good at the moment."

"Hmph," Mihawk grunted, "now that you've lost your left arm I have no intention of settling the score." Mihawk surveyed the captain's missing left arm for a second before he reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of wanted posters, "I recently encountered an interesting group of pirates. Seeing them reminded me of a story you used to tell, a story about a pair of boys… a pair of boys from a small village in the East Blue." Mihawk unrolled the wanted posters to reveal Luffy and Ricky's faces causing the captain to stare in surprise.

"Dahahaha!" 'Red Haired' Shanks laughed, "Luffy, you made it!" Shanks smiled at the thought of the boy he'd given his straw hat to, Luffy was finally making a name for himself and was well on his way to becoming a great pirate.

"Alright then Hawk Eye, in that case…" said Shanks, "I'm afraid I can't let you just leave, not now!"

**Thunk! **An empty mug was placed on a stump and Shanks casually sat on a log next to Mihawk as he poured the World's Greatest Swordsman a drink, "DAHAHAHAHA! HAWK EYE, DRINK UP! GO ON! TILT 'ER BACK! IT'S A CELEBRATION!"

"Weren't you hungover?" Mihawk inquired, mildly surprised by Shanks' sudden change in demeanor.

"OH NO WAY!" Shanks exclaimed, "NOT ANY MORE! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!" Mihawk finally relented and drank the mug of grog that Shanks had offered him. "DAHAHAHAHA! EVERYBODY, LET'S PARTY!"

"But wait boss…" said Lucky Roux, "I thought you said you felt like crap because you drank too much last night…"

"DON'T BE STUPID!" Shanks replied, "I CAN'T _NOT _DRINK ON A JOYOUS DAY LIKE TODAY!"

"But the sun is still high," Mihawk pointed out.

"Dahaha! Don't sweat it!" Shanks told him, "DAHAHAHAHHA! TIME TO PARTY!"

"That captain," Benn Beckman muttered as he sat beside Yasopp and watched their captain make a fool of himself. Both men were showing signs of aging, Beckman's hair was now short and gray and he was still sporting the x-shaped scar on his face from his fight with Ricky two years ago. Yasopp's blond hair was showing signs of graying and instead of wearing his usual blue bandana, he had his name tattooed on his forehead (just in case he got too drunk and forgot it). Beckman held up Ricky's wanted poster and smiled, "I'll admit, I was a little worried about the kid but I guess he was just laying low until he encountered that brother of his."

"Could be," Yasopp replied, as he stared intently at the back of someone's in the bottom left corner of Luffy's wanted poster. Believe it or not, the person looked like an older version of his son.

**-x-**

In another part of the Grand Line a large pirate ship that was shaped like a whale was casually floating along. "Caw!" The newspaper delivery seagull had just flown away after making yet another delivery.

"POPS! POPS!" someone shouted, "YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT! LOOK AT THIS!"

A large man was handed a wanted poster, he casually glanced at it while drinking from a large barrel of grog, "PPPPFFFFTTTTT!" the man promptly spat out what he was drinking in surprise and dropped the barrel, **THUNK!**

"I don't believe it! MY BOY'S ALIVE!" realized Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate as he stared at the face – and finger – of 'One Eye' Ricky. "Marco!"

"Yeah, Pops?" answered the sleepy-looking blond that commanded Whitebeard's First Division.

"I want you to send a carrier pigeon to Ace," Whitebeard instructed, "Tell him that Teach is only guilty of one count of in-crew murder and to intercept the Straw Hat Pirates when they reach the Grand Line. Tell him… that his brothers on the Straw Hat Pirate Crew will be very happy to see him."

"Actually sir," a brown haired man with a pair of shotguns strapped to his waist interrupted. "If you don't mind, I'd like to bring someone along with me and personally relay that message."

"You wanna see your former crewmates, eh Han?" Whitebeard questioned the former King of Spades.

"Yes sir," Hannibal King agreed. "This'll bring Ollie out of the funk she's been in."

Whitebeard nodded, "Very well, the two of you can have two and a half weeks leave to meet up with Ace and then intercept the Straw Hats."

"Thank you sir," said King as he took Ricky's Wanted Poster and quickly ran off.

"IT'S TIME TO DRINK! RICKY'S ALIVE!" Whitebeard called out to the other Whitebeard Pirates.

Han ran below deck and down a hallway, he stopped at a door and knocked twice before opening it. He stepped into the dark room and could make out a figure sitting on a stool at the counter surrounded by empty bottles. Their head was resting on the counter and they appeared to be passed out.

Ollie hadn't taken Ricky's 'death' well. In fact, she blamed herself. She claimed that she should've known something was wrong and that she should've gone along with him. She took up drinking and was attempting to fill the missing void in her life with booze. As a result her marksmanship deteriorated and her performance on missions had taken a huge hit. Fearing for his female son's safety, Whitebeard had kept her confined to the ship so she wouldn't get hurt. Ollie hadn't been out on a mission for two months.

Han walked over shook her awake. "Sitting in the dark and brooding isn't gonna bring him back," Han told her. "Ricky wouldn't want to see you drinking yourself to death."

"Wazzit matter?" she slurred. "Heez dead… least this way I can see 'im again."

**Whap!** Han slammed the Wanted Poster down on the counter next to her. "Or… you can sober up and come with me to find Ace and intercept him when he returns to the Grand Line."

Her head turned and she glanced down at the poster. **SKUFF! KRASH! **Instead of cheering her up, the wanted poster only seemed to infuriate her. She knocked it and a bunch of bottles off of the counter. "DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" she shouted. "Is this your idea of a joke? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

"That poster was issued by the marines two days ago," Han told her. "It says he's the First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Straw Hat?" she repeated, she practically dove off of her stool and grabbed the poster off of the ground. Ollie sat on the floor staring at the wanted poster, "He's alive…" she whispered, for the first time in eleven months a smile appeared on her face. "I don't believe it… he's really alive…"

"Looks like wherever he was, his younger brother found him and recruited him," said Han. "Whitebeard gave us two and a half weeks leave. We'll head out and meet up with Ace and then we'll find Ricky when the Straw Hats reach the Grand Line."

Ollie sprang up to her feet and ran out of the room shouting, "HE'S ALIVE!" at the top of her lungs.

**-x-**

Back in the East Blue in Fucshia Village, the villagers seemed happy and in high spirits as they all looked over a pair of familiar wanted posters.

"Did you hear the news?" someone asked, "Luffy and Ricky are wanted men now!"

"Good for them!" someone else replied.

"Well I'll be," said a third villager, "A pair of great pirates came from our tiny little village!"

"Yeah, who would've though," a fourth villager replied.

"SHUT UP YOU BONE HEADS!" Mayor Woop Slap yelled as he stalked through the village, "What's so great about some criminals coming from our little village!"

"TO LUFFY AND RICKY!" a hefty man called out as he stood on a table in Makino's tavern.

"YEAAAHH!" the other occupants of the tavern cheered.

"Bunch of jerks," Mayor Woop Slap complained as he walked over to the bar and sat down on a stool. "After three years I thought that boy of yours was actually staying on the right side of the law. Trust him meeting up with Luffy to finally get the marines after them."

"But look how happy the boys are," Makino pointed out as she stared down at the two wanted posters that were on the counter in front of her. Luffy was beaming and Ricky was grinning, while flipping off whoever was looking at his picture. "I was a little worried about those boys but I can see now that they're fine."

"I pirate's a pirate!" Woop Slap grumbled while Makino remembered the two boys that had spent so much time in her tavern growing up.

"_I __**WILL**__ MAKE IT AS A PIRATE!" seven year old Luffy exclaimed, "AND THEN I'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"_

"_For the record," said nine year old Ricky, "The treasure I find will be worth ten times what yours is. Everything on Shanks' ship will be considered pocket change."_

"_Why don't you just find the One Piece then?" Shanks joked as he sat at the bar with the two boys._

"_That could work," Ricky commented with a thoughtful look on his face._

"You see, Luffy and Ricky are achieving their dream," Makino pointed out, "I'm proud of those little rascals."

"Their dream… or their destiny?" the Mayor wondered.

**-x-**

The Straw Hat Pirates were gathered on the deck looking over a chart that Nami had laid out in front of her.

"We're getting close to the Grand Line," Nami announced as she looked over the map. "It looks like the only way into it is here, through Reverse Mountain." Nami pointed to the mountain in the middle of the map it had four streams of water going into it from all different directions and one going in yet another direction leading into the Grand Line.

"Don't worry about that just yet," Ricky reassured her, "It's easier than it sounds. Where we're going is right here," Ricky pointed to a small island near Reverse Mountain.

"That's where Loguetown is," Nami told the others.

"I'm pretty sure I've heard of it before," Zoro recalled. "It's the city of the Beginning and the End."

"They'll probably have meat, odd supplies, cooking ingredients, sword shops, clothing stores, and any other thing we'll need before heading into the Grand Line," Ricky informed them.

Since none of the crew was responding verbally, Ricky decided if he could get a mental response and lifted his eye patch for a brief moment while the rest of the crew was still deep in thought.

"_MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! MEAAAAAATTTT!"_

"_I just need to think of a way to convince him that clothing is essential, then… FREE SHOPPING TRIP!"_

"_I still need two more swords…"_

"_I'm running low on some stuff, if we go there and get some things to help me make a wonderful meal for Miss. Nami!"_

"_If we're heading to the Grand Line I'll definitely need some more supplies. I'm running out of materials for my arsenal."_

"**LET'S GO!" **shouted five voices causing Ricky practically yank down the eye patch and clamp his hands over his sensitive ears. The Straw Hats were off for Loguetown 'the Town of the Beginning and the End'.

**-x-**

I've decided that I'm going to follow the Anime Version of the Loguetown Arc, if only because some of the filler there is highly amusing and I won't have to rush anything. Next chapter the Straw Hats make landfall at Loguetown.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	46. Chapter 45

**Another Nakama:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**A/N:** I'm going to be doing the Anime Filler version of the Loguetown Arc. There are so many great moments in these episodes that after watching them I can't see myself _not_ putting them in. A fair bit of warning, these chapters will probably be a little long but will contain all the fun of the Straw Hat Pirates on a day off.

**Landfall at Loguetown:**

**-x-**

The Straw Hat Pirates had gotten off of the Going Merry and were staring in amazement up at a wooden sign bridging between two buildings. The sign read 'Loguetown'.

"WOOOHOOO!" Luffy exclaimed, "THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN!"

"Yup, any pirate heading for the Grand Line stops here," Ricky explained, he'd buttoned up his white shirt and his sunglasses hid his eye patch. He had Mohmoo's giant golden nose ring around his lightly padded right shoulder, but he'd left his sword back on the ship so he wouldn't stick out. "Just keep quiet and keep from drawing the attention of the marines and we'll be alright."

"They'll have anything we need," said Nami, before she turned to Ricky and flashed him a smile. "Ricky… would you mind giving me some money? Unlike you guys, I need to have more than one outfit and I want to have clothing for any kind of weather."

"Alright," Ricky agreed, he fished into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, "Here's two million berries on the condition that you buy some casual clothing for the rest of the crew. Luffy always wears shorts, t-shirts, or a vest, Zoro would probably like anything that doesn't slow him down, for Usopp I'd guess anything that looks cool and is comfortable, try to find something other than a suit for Sanji to wear, and for me anything in black, red, or black _and _red."

**Yoink!** Nami yanked the money out of Ricky's hands, "You've got a deal, I'll just find a bunch of different colored t-shirts and stuff like that," Nami reasoned.

"And get yourself some winter clothing and a bathing suit," Ricky suggested, "the Grand Line is prone to having lots of different weather, you want to be ready for anything." Nami nodded showing she understood, normally she wouldn't take orders but Ricky _had_ been to the Grand Line and survived it so she figured she could afford to take his word on this.

"I'll need to stock up on fresh produce," Sanji mentioned.

Once again Ricky fished into his pocket and pulled out another bundle of bills, "Here's three hundred thousand berries," Ricky told him, "buy whatever you need." Sanji nodded and took the money.

"I want to buy something too," Zoro commented, he was short two swords.

"Swords are expensive," Ricky pointed out, as he fished into his pocket a third time. "Here's five hundred thousand berries for now, it'll get you in the door and enable you to buy an average sword. If you find a good sword that you like come find me and I'll help you out."

"I guess that'll work," Zoro agreed.

"I wanna get—" Usopp started to plead his case with the crew's financial manager but Ricky cut him off.

"You're with me Usopp," Ricky interrupted him, "I'm gonna teach you how to shop."

"I know how to shop!" Usopp objected.

"Not the way I do it," Ricky told him.

"I'm gonna find out where they kill people!" Luffy decided.

"The execution scaffold is in the middle of the town," Ricky informed him, "don't get lost."

"I'm gonna see where the King of the Pirates was executed!" Luffy announced as he turned and ran off.

"Wait! We have to pick a meeting place!" Usopp called after him.

"Too late, we lost him," said Ricky, "When we wanna find him just look for the noisiest place in town."

"Heh heh," Zoro chuckled, "that sounds like Luffy."

"If any of you guys need any more money or anything I'll be periodically returning to the ship to load it up with some of the stuff long nose and I buy," Ricky informed the rest of the crew. "Let's go Usopp."

With that the Straw Hats split up and disappeared into the crowded streets of Loguetown.

**-x-**

**Tmp!Tmp!Tmp! **_"The King of the Pirates was born and executed in this town," _Luffy thought to himself as he ran through the streets of Loguetown looking for the execution scaffold. _"I could be running in his very footsteps right now." _

"YAHOOO!" Luffy cheered as he jumped up in the air filled with excitement. So much for blending in and lying low…

**-x-**

**Swish!** The curtain to the fitting room in an expensive clothing store was pulled opened and Nami stood there wearing a gray corset, a fancy matching wraparound skirt, and an expensive looking fur coat. "How do I look?" asked Nami as she struck a pose.

"You look absolutely stunning!" the salesman chimed.

**Swish!** The curtain opened again and Nami was now wearing an expensive red evening gown which had a long slit going up the left leg. She had a furry white boa wrapped around her neck. "And now?" questioned Nami in a sultry voice.

"Artistically extravagant!" the salesman exclaimed.

"This?"

"Deciduously elevated!"

The pattern continued as Nami continued trying on fancy outfits while the salesman would spout out compliments that didn't exactly make sense. Eventually, a huge pile of clothes had amassed on a counter.

"Excellent, may I deliver these to your lodgings?" offered the salesman who was wearing black pants, a vertically striped black and gray vest, a white long-sleeved shirt, a blue neck tie, and his hair was done up in the shape of a clothes hanger.

"No thanks!" Nami replied, as she strolled out the door and left, "I prefer more casual clothes!"

"THANK YOU, COME BACK SOON!" the salesman literally cried. The girl had shown him two million berries, how was he supposed to know she had no intention of buying anything?

**-x-**

Ricky and Usopp leaned against the front of a Pawn Shop, Ricky handed the golden ring to Usopp, "Here's the deal, you go in and ask the guy how much you can get for this," Ricky instructed, "Just play nice and sort of go along with what he tells you."

"Alright," Usopp agreed. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna play the part of the cynic," Ricky explained, "I'm gonna try to get him to raise the price up to a million berries, follow my lead. It's an Interrogation Trick called Good Cop/Bad Cop."

**Krek!** Usopp pulled the door opened and entered the Pawn Shop Ricky followed behind him and made a point to keep his face blank.

Usopp and Ricky were met by the owner whose greasy gray hair was in the shape of a bowl cut. He wore an obviously second-hand gray jacket with a yellow patch and a pair of not-quite-matching bluish-gray pants.

"Hey, how much can I get for this?" Usopp inquired as he showed the man the giant ring.

"What use would I have for some giant ring?" the man wondered as he eyed the golden ring, "I won't give you a berri over 500,000."

"Who are you trying to fool?" asked Ricky, "that thing's pure gold."

"Pure gold?" the man repeated, "Oh… well in that case… how does 650,000 berries sound?"

"Wow, that's a lot!" Usopp commented.

"Yeah, for an idiot," Ricky growled, "since its pure gold you could easily melt it down and reshape it any way you want."

"I'm sure you could think of something great to make out of it," Usopp patronized the man.

"Alright, alright, how about… 800,000 berries?" the man offered.

"Weeelll," Usopp replied, "That sounds about right…"

"The hell it does!" Ricky refused as he reached out and grabbed the big gold ring, "I'm not gonna stay here and let you continue to insult us. Come on Usopp." Ricky turned and headed for the door, Usopp looked confused as he followed after him. "I'm sure we can find someone willing to offer us a million berries for it."

"OKAY! OKAY!" the man conceded. "I'll give you 1,000,000 berries BUT THAT'S MY FINAL OFFER!"

"I think we can agree to that," Usopp agreed as he took the ring and handed it to the man. A few minutes later the two pirates left the Pawn Shop a million berries richer.

"And that's how you haggle, 'One Eye' Ricky Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire-style," Ricky concluded as he and Usopp walked down the street together.

"So… how much was that ring really worth?" questioned Usopp.

"I'd guess around seven hundred fifty thousand," Ricky answered, "but of course he doesn't know that. Now, we've got some extra money, you pick the next place."

"Alright," said Usopp, "I think I saw a cool Trinket Store over there somewhere…"

**-x-**

"_Wow, the scenery here is amazing,"_ Sanji thought to himself, there were hearts in his eyes as he scoped out all the pretty girls that were gathered in the streets. Sanji's heart-shaped eyes suddenly bugged out of his head when he spotted a beautiful woman with long dark hair, flawless skin, pretty eyes, and ruby red lips, she was wearing a white cowgirl hat with a pink feather in it and a bulky pink cloak with heart-shaped design

"_I THINK I JUST FELL IN LOVE!" _Sanji said to himself.

**-x-**

"WOOO-HOO-HOOO-HOOO!" Usopp cheered as he entered a store called Love Love Pirates with Ricky trailing after him. "Whoa! Crazy! I think I've died and gone to trinket heaven!" Usopp surveyed the large assortment of stuff in the store. A salesman took that opportunity to make his presence known.

"Come in, come in!" the salesman chimed, he had shiny brown hair, a mono-brow, wore a light blue shirt with a red bowtie, blue pants, and a green apron. "I can assure you that almost everything you see is an almost priceless pirate artifact from an adventure to the Grand Line! I am certain that you will not find a store like this in the entire world!"

"You mean everything in this store has been to the Grand Line and back?" questioned Usopp, "is that what you're telling me?"

"You are so observant!" the slimy salesman complemented Usopp as he slithered over to him. "We only accept a certain type of clientele in this establishment you might imagine. And I can tell by your demeanor that you're my type of client."

"Observe!" instructed the salesman as he showed Usopp a small pistol that had a nozzle that was made to look like a fish's face. "I hold in my hands a gun that was once a favorite of none-other-than _the_ Gold Roger!"

"NO WAY! GOLD ROGER'S GUN?" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.

"Alright that's enough," Ricky interrupted as he grabbed Usopp by the back of his overalls and pulled him away from the salesman. "I call BS. Let's go Usopp, the only thing you'll find in this place is a scam."

"Why don't you let him make his own decision!" the salesman scolded as he glared at Ricky while he dragged Usopp to the door.

"I'm not about to let you swindle my Nakama," said Ricky, "take your cheap gun and shove it." With that Ricky pulled Usopp out of the store and down the street.

"What was that?" asked Usopp, "He said that was a gun used by Gold Roger!"

"Ugh," Ricky groaned, "Yeah, that's what he _said _but tell me, have you ever shot a gun before?"

"Uh… no," Usopp admitted, he only used his slingshot. There was that one time he'd attempted to shoot Kuro… but he'd missed so that didn't count!

"Then you don't need that," Ricky told him. "And from what the old man told me, Gold Roger was a master of many fields. Even if the Pirate King did use a pistol, he wouldn't have used that ridiculous thing for anything other than a joke. And if he _had _used it, it wouldn't have been in that store."

"Oh… that's right!" Usopp realized, "your former captain was Gold Roger's rival!"

"That's right," said Ricky, "and if anyone would know what kind of weapon the Pirate King used in combat, it'd be him. I just saved you from getting ripped off. And for the record, any salesman with that kind of smile is looking to screw you over."

"Wow, thanks I guess," Usopp commented.

"No problem," Ricky replied, "besides it's all part of teaching you how to shop properly. You need to know how to tell a good deal from a bad one and a good salesman from a sleazebag. Help me out with my shopping and when we're done, you'll never get ripped off again."

Usopp nodded as the two of them walked off in search of more supplies for their trip to the Grand Line.

**-x-**

Elsewhere in Loguetown was a building marked with a seagull, the insignia of the marines. Inside the Loguetown Marine Headquarters a large man with a rectangular face, brown hair and sideburns wearing the standard marine uniform was sitting in front of a machine receiving a transmission from Marine Headquarters. His name was Petty Officer Masshikaku.

**Crank… crank!** Masshikaku stood up and stared at the machine in shock as it printed out two sheets of paper then ran out of the room in search of his superior.

**KREK!** "Captain Smoker!" Masshikaku called out about five seconds later as he opened the door to a smoke-filled room in the marine base, "A message from Headquarters! I've just received word that Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew are headed to Loguetown! The bounties of his and his first mate's head total fifty million berries!"

"Fifty million berries… I can't wait to congratulate them," came the deep, somewhat raspy, voice of Marine Captain Smoker, he didn't sound intimidated. Due to all the smoke in the room, he was hard to make out but his silhouette appeared to be that of an extremely muscular man who was smoking a cigar while attempting to make a stack a number of rocks on top of each other.

"Sir, this is the pirate crew that defeated Don Krieg and killed Arlong!" Masshikaku attempted to explain.

"Shut your mouth!" Smoker ordered, **KLUNK!** Smoker's stack of rocks collapsed and ended up on the table he was sitting in front of. Smoker stood up and sounded irritated, "All your whining made it collapse in defeat."

"I'm sorry sir," Masshikaku apologized.

"Silence," said Smoker, "your stress is useless. You alone dictate the pace of your battle, am I wrong?"

"No sir," Masshikaku answered.

**Krek!** Smoker opened a window and the smoke in the room cleared, revealing Smoker completely. He wore blue marine-style pants and heavy black boots. He had gray hair and was ripped and he stood at about six foot six. "Then why so tense?" questioned Smoker.

"Well… it's just been a long time since we've faced a pirate crew of this considerable strength, sir," Masshikaku explained.

"You really have nothing to worry about," Smoker reassured him, "Under my command has there even been a single pirate to set foot on this island without being captured?"

"No sir," the Petty Officer replied.

"Then just calm the hell down," Smoker scolded him as he grabbed his white coat and slipped it on. It had red on the inside and was lined with black fur and had countless cigars strapped to the sleeves and stuffed in the pockets. On the back of the coat was the kanji for Smoker's personal slogan 'Absolute Justice'. "you're screwing up my pacing."

"I'm sorry sir," Masshikaku apologized, "you're right sir."

Just then another marine came running into the office, he was shorter than both Captain Smoker and Masshikaku and stood at about five foot seven. The new marine had short black hair that appeared to be neatly combed and wore a typical marine cap on his head. He wore the usual marine uniform complete with the white shirt and blue pants, but he wore a green necktie signifying that he had a higher rank. The marine had a belt with two pistols holstered on it around his waist, and a pair of goggles around his neck. This marine was known as Lieutenant Devo, an officer in the Loguetown Marine Base that worked under Captain Smoker.

Lieutenant Devo quickly saluted Captain Smoker before he addressed him, "I've got a report sir, I've just received word that a group of pirates has recently arrived! We're requested there at once!"

"It must be Monkey D. Luffy's group," Masshikaku realized as he stared at the two wanted posters in his hand, "Captain, he's got a bounty of thirty million berries. How'd they get here so fast? I just got this message."

"Thirty million, huh?" questioned Smoker. "This might actually be interesting."

Smoker pulled on a pair black gloves and strapped his jutte onto his back. With that Smoker headed out the door intent on hunting down a pirate he'd never seen before. Lieutenant Commander Devo quickly followed after Smoker without a word, leaving Petty Officer Masshikaku alone in the office.

"But Captain, Lieutenant, don't you want to see this?" Masshikaku called after them as he held up the Wanted Posters of 'Straw Hat' Luffy and 'One Eye' Ricky.

**-x-**

**Captain Smoker the Monster**

**-x-**

A little bit later, Smoker and Devo were walking through the streets of Loguetown. Smoker had added another cigar to his mouth and was now smoking two at the same time.

"Captain, are we going to take our usual approach?" Lt. Devo inquired.

"Of course," Smoker answered, "why wouldn't we?"

"Well sir, its just that these are the most wanted pirates in the East Blue," Devo explained, "They might cause problems."

"Let me ask you something," said Smoker, "In the time I've been in command here, have we ever let a pirate get away, Lieutenant?"

"No sir," Devo answered.

"Then don't worry about it," Smoker told him, "Where's Tashigi?"

"She mentioned to me that she had some things to do this morning," Devo replied. "She said she'd try to make it back in time for training."

"Irresponsible girl," Smoker muttered, "where the hell did she go?"

Speaking of irresponsible girls, a small blonde haired girl with two blue hairclips in her hair and a pink shirt, ran through the streets of Loguetown holding an ice cream cone with three scoops of ice cream in front of her. "Yay! I've got ice cream!" the girl cheered.

"You'd better slow down or you're gonna drop it," suggested a skinny brown haired man as he casually walked behind the girl with his hands in his pockets.

**SPLAT!** The girl suddenly collided with a pair of blue pants and got her three different colored scoops of ice cream all over them. The girl looked up and stared in surprise when she realized that she'd just bumped into Marine Captain Smoker. Smoker turned to look at the girl, causing the man following her to shriek in terror.

"AAAAAHH! CAPTAIN SMOKER!" the man shrieked.

"My… ice cream…" said the girl.

"I'M VERY SORRY SIR!" the man apologized, "PLEASE DON'T HURT HER! MY DAUGHTER SHOULDN'T RUN, PLEASE DON'T HURT HER!"

**Whap! **Smoker knelt down and lightly patted the girl on the head, "I'm sorry," Smoker apologized, "my silly pants have eaten all your ice cream." Smoker produced a gold coin and handed it to the girl, "Here, go buy yourself five scoops." With that, Smoker stood up and promptly walked away, "Let's go, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," Devo agreed as he walked off alongside Captain Smoker.

"Thank you sir!" the relieved father called after the two marines.

"Thank you," said the little girl as she waved after them.

**-x-**

"HAAA HAAA HAAA HAAA!" laughed a funny looking older pirate with a pointed nose and a purple three-cornered hat covering his gray hair. He wore a long maroon Captain's coat and a purple and white striped scarf around his neck that went down to his knees. He wore brown pants, black boots, and had a teal sash around his waist. He also wore a white vest with brown criss-crossing suspenders. But the man's most distinguishing features were his crescent-shaped beard and mustache. "HAVE AT IT BOYS! NO NEED TO BE SHY ON MY ACCOUNT!"

Believe it or not, this was a pirate captain. His name was Galley 'the Crescent Moon' and he had a bounty worth 3,450,000 berries. Behind him a bunch of seedy looking pirates were loading up a pirate ship with supplies they had 'acquired'.

"I, Galley the Crescent, hereby claim all this food to be of service to the future King of the Pirates!" Galley bellowed, he was yelling so loudly that he didn't notice the arrival of a pair of marines. "SO DON'T BOTHER TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING!"

"Hey," Smoker called out as he towered over the gathered Crescent Moon Pirates, "Who's in charge here?"

"I think you need to leave," Galley stated.

"So you're Monkey D. Luffy?" Captain Smoker inquired.

"I don't think that's him Captain," Lieutenant Devo observed. "We probably should've looked at the wanted poster before we left."

"You're right," Smoker agreed, "he's not worth thirty million, I'd guess he's not worth much more than my grandma's false teeth."

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY!" Galley yelled. "GOT IT?"

Smoke started to gather around Smoker and clouded him from view, Lt. Devo seemed to know what was coming and pulled on his goggles and grabbed the handles of the two loaded pistols at his waist.

"Ready Captain," Devo announced.

**"You take out the loud-mouth, I'll round up everyone else,"** Smoker instructed from somewhere in the cloud of smoke.

Galley stared in shock as Smoker and his marine lackey became shrouded in smoke, that Smoker had seemingly created, he couldn't see anything. MONSTER!

**Chuck… chuck… KA-BANG-BANG! **The green lenses of Lieutenant Devo's goggles allowed him to see perfectly through the smoke, **TUNK! TUNK! THUD!** Devo's two shots found their mark and Galley the Crescent collapsed to the ground unconscious and bleeding from the chest. Unfortunately for Galley's pirates, the smoke was too thick for them to see the state of their captain, leaving them easy picking for Captain Smoker the Monster.

**-x-**

"Captain Smoker?" Nami repeated as she leaned against the counter in a more casual clothing store. The old woman that was helping her was loading t-shirts and skirts into a large bag.

"He is definitely one of the toughest marines we have ever seen in this town," the woman explained, she was a hefty woman with curly light brown hair and a pink dress with purple stars on it. "See, Loguetown used to be a hangout for pirates headed to the Grand Line but not any more. As soon as Smoker took over any pirate that's ever come near this island has been caught, incarcerated, and executed. Smoker is bad. He's a complete and utter monster. There are even those that say he has Devil Fruit Powers."

"Devil Fruit Powers?" questioned Nami, that didn't sound good.

**-x-**

The smoke down by the harbor had cleared to reveal Smoker and Devo. The latter of the two was finishing tying up the last of the Crescent Moon Pirates.

"You're right sir," Devo commented, "There's no way this guy was Monkey D. Luffy, I think this guy's Galley the Crescent Moon. He's not worth thirty million, he's barely worth a tenth that. Around three and a half I think."

"Only a complete idiot would think this was Luffy," said Smoker, "If this garbage was worth thirty million _I'd_ become a pirate."

"Then where's Luffy?" Devo wondered.

"What's your hurry?" asked Smoker. "He'll be here soon enough."

"**I'm here!"** came a voice. Smoker and Devo stared in surprise at a boy wearing a straw hat, a red vest, blue shorts, and sandals. "Where's the execution platform? This looks like the docks!"

"HEY! CAN YOU HELP ME?" asked Luffy as he approached the two marine officers.

"Is he a member of this garbage?" Smoker asked Devo.

"I don't think so sir," Devo answered.

"Hi, I need some help," Luffy greeted Smoker as he walked right up to the marine. "Do you happen to know where they execute people around here?"

"The platform," Smoker stated.

"Yeah, I know," Luffy replied, "but I just can't seem to find it."

"I haven't seen you before," Smoker realized.

"This is my first time here on this island," Luffy explained. "This town is a whole lot bigger than Fucshia Village and it's really spread out too."

"So why go to the platform?" asked Smoker.

"Personal quest," Luffy replied. "I wanna see where the King of the Pirates died."

"Just follow the smoke, kid," Smoker instructed, the smoke from the marine's two cigars changed direction and floated off in between two buildings.

"Great!" Luffy exclaimed, "That way? I'll see ya later!" With that Luffy ran off.

"I wonder who that was," said Devo. Once again he wondered why they hadn't looked at the wanted poster before they left. It would be a lot easier to hunt down Monkey D. Luffy if they knew what he looked like. It wasn't like Monkey D. Luffy would walk right up to them and ask for directions… right?

**-x-**

"Why are we here?" asked Usopp. He and Ricky were on the outskirts of Loguetown standing in front of a rundown looking store. Both of them had sacks thrown over their shoulder from a successful shopping trip. Ricky's bag looked like it contained treasure hunting supplies judging by the two shovels and the pick-axe that were sticking out of the top of it. The padded white sleeve of a winter coat was sticking out of the top of Usopp's bag, signifying that the two of them had gone bought seasonal clothing for the male members of the crew.

"Because I need to get something important for when we get to the Grand Line," Ricky explained.

"Then why get it here?' questioned Usopp. "This place doesn't look like much."

"It's all a part of my 'Ask the Creepy Outcast' theory," Ricky told him, "most common people don't follow the life of a pirate. If you ask them about a legendary treasure they'll just laugh at you, tell you you're crazy, and that it doesn't exist. A normal person can't help you but a fellow crazy person can. Whenever I need information about something I go to the creepy outcast that lives on the outskirts of the village, more often than not they'll know all about what I'm after. For example, if I wanted to know about a treasure that was supposedly located near your village, I'd have asked you about it."

"I guess that _kind of_ makes sense," Usopp reasoned, he'd spent years being a pretend pirate and if there were any great treasures buried around Syrup Village he'd know where they were. He lived on the outskirts of the village and wasn't exactly well liked, just the kind of outcast that Ricky would ask for information.

"Just stay quiet and let me do all the talking," Ricky instructed as he and Usopp opened the door and entered the shop. Usopp glanced around him and noticed that the shop seemed to sell clocks. Ricky put down his sack of treasure hunting supplies and walked up to the counter and rang the bell that was on it, **DING!**

An old man with a shaggy gray beard, black and green plaid pants, brown slippers, and a loose gray shirt walked out from the backroom. "What do you want?" the man demanded.

"I'm looking to buy one of your _special_ compasses," Ricky answered.

"Going to the Grand Line are you?" the old man inquired, his demeanor softened a bit.

"That's right," Ricky replied.

"And if you're here, that means you've been there before," the old man reasoned, "Regular or Eternal?"

"Just regular," Ricky requested, "we don't have a set destination."

"I have one in the back," the old man told him, "that'll be 800,000 berries."

Ricky nodded and pulled out most of the money he'd gotten from selling the gold nose ring and placed it on the counter. The old man went to the back room and returned a few minutes later with a black jewelry box, he opened it to reveal a strange looking glass ball that had a compass needle in the middle of it.

"Pleasure doing business with you," said Ricky as he took the jewelry box, closed it, and slipped it into his pocket. "Let's go Usopp."

"Good luck," the old man called after them as they left the shop.

**THUD! **The door closed behind them and Usopp turned to Ricky, "What did you get?" asked Usopp.

"A special compass used for navigating the Grand Line," Ricky answered. "I'll give it to Nami and explain when we get there."

"Why was it so expensive?" Usopp wondered.

"Because if we didn't have one of these… we'd die," Ricky stated, causing Usopp to stare in wide-eyed horror. "The Grand Line is a dangerous place but if you know how to navigate in it, it can be a paradise."

"Phew," Usopp sighed, "good thing you got that then." Ricky nodded and the two headed back for Loguetown.

**-x-**

"_DAMN IT! THESE SWORDS ARE ALL SO FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE!" _Zoro cursed to himself as he stared in the window of yet another sword shop. 700,000… 500,000… 300,000… All the decent-looking swords were worth a lot of money, he barely enough to buy ONE decent sword let along TWO!

Zoro had attempted to find Ricky to get some more money but he'd forgotten where they'd left the ship. He'd ended up getting lost in the crowd and hadn't seen any sign of Ricky or Usopp, he'd thought his luck had changed when he ran into Nami…

"_Sure, I'll lend you some money," Nami offered._

"_Yeah, but don't you only have the two million berries that Ricky gave you to buy clothes?" asked Zoro._

"_Don't be stupid," Nami replied, "That's just the money I got from Ricky, I still have MY money. I could lend you some… but that'll be three hundred percent interest. Hehehehe!"_

Zoro didn't like the way that girl had been laughing when she'd given him 100,000 berries. But now he had 600,000 berries and was still no closer to buying himself some decent swords. The swords worth 300,000 and less looked kind of cheap and Zoro wasn't certain he'd survive in the Grand Line using cheap swords.

"_I can't afford to borrow any more money from that girl," _Zoro thought to himself, _"but I can't afford to go to the Grand Line with just one sword." _Butjust as Zoro was about to relent and buy two cheap swords, a voice caught his attention.

"**Monster?"**

"**Shut up!"** said someone else, "Our boss is behind bars because of your idiot of a captain!"

Zoro made his way through the crowd to see what the commotion was, a girl who looked to be around twenty with chin-length blue hair, rectangle glasses with red frames, a faint green shirt with pink flowers on it and purple pants. She was holding a wrapped package in front of her. "Haven't you learned your lesson?" asked the girl as she stood in front of two large, rowdy looking men.

"Definitely not!" said the shorter of the two, he was over a foot and a half taller than the girl and was kind of chubby. He had his dark green hair done in two braids, and wore a sleeveless brown shirt and a pair of gray shorts. "Guess we need ya to teach us again!"

"We're supposed to bring your corpse to our boss so he can see that we've finished you off," the other man stated. He was taller and thinner than the other one and had short gray hair, and a face like a monkey. He wore a black shirt with different colored swirls on it, a pair of ragged looking gray shorts, and a purple sash around his waist. Both men were holding swords out in front of them.

"If you insist, I will fight you," the girl replied, she wasn't intimidated by the two thugs.

"That's very funny!" the fat thug snapped.

"You do know you're a girl, right?" the taller thug taunted.

"RAAAAAHHH!" The two men leapt at the girl with the swords drawn, Zoro gripped his own sword and was about to get involved, but it looked like he didn't have to.

**Swiff… **The girl opened her package to reveal the katana she had inside with amazing skill she lashed out at the two thugs, **SLISH! SLOSH! **The girl stood still as the two thugs fell passed her and went crashing down to the ground unconscious, **THA-THUD!**

Zoro and the gathered villagers in the crowd all stared in surprise at the female swordsman and how easily she'd dispatched the two thugs. The girl went to put her sword away but ruined all the 'Street Cred' she'd just earned by tripping over her own feet and crashing to the ground, **THUD!**

**Klak-a-klak…** The girl's red-framed glasses went flying and ended up at Zoro's feet. "My glasses… I can't see without my glasses…" said the girl as she knelt on the ground and blindly felt around for her glasses.

"She can handle a sword but she's not so good at walking," commented one of the civilians.

Zoro reached down and picked up the girl's glasses then held them out to her, "Hey uh… here you go," Zoro called out. The girl looked up and that's when Zoro saw it… SHE LOOKED JUST LIKE KUINA!

"Thanks, that's so kind," said Kuina… uh… the girl. **KRUNCH!** What wasn't so kind was when Zoro accidentally crushed K… _the girl's_ glasses in his hand while he was still overcome with shock. "May I have my glasses?"

Zoro and the girl stood there for a few seconds before they both noticed the lense-less frames in Zoro's hand, "GAAAAAHH!" they both shouted at the same time.

"My glasses!" exclaimed the girl, "those were really expensive, how could you be so mean?"

"I was an accident, I swear!" Zoro attempted to explain.

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THOSE!" the girl snapped, Zoro could only twitch in shock. He was already short on money and now this girl that looked eerily like his head friend wanted him to pay for her 'really expensive' glasses. This was just _not_ his day.

**-x-**

Luffy was once again lost as he wandered through a back alley in Loguetown, "This really sucks," Luffy said to himself, "I just wanna find the execution platform, but somehow I just keep getting myself turned around. I'll find it eventually." Luffy spotted a sign labeled **'Gold Roger Bar' **"Huh… Gold Roger…" Never to pass up an opportunity to investigate anything with the Pirate King's name on it, Luffy went down the steps and wandered into the bar.

**Kreeek…** Luffy pushed opened the swinging double doors and stepped into the bar, only to realize that it was empty except for an old man wearing a purple skullcap, a loose white shirt, a pair of gold earrings, and small circular sunglasses. He was sitting in a chair at a table with a skull on it. "Excuse me, do you work here?" Luffy inquired, "the sign hanging outside said this place was called the Gold Roger. How'd it get that name?"

"Scram," said the grouchy old man. "You should leave, this isn't a place for unaccompanied children. Besides, we're closed for good starting today."

"You're going under?" Luffy questioned.

"I'm not going under," the old man replied, "I've decided to close it myself. I'm retiring."

Luffy walked over to a stool at the bar and sat down on it, then casually spun around to face the old man. "Sorry, I just wanted to know about the name," Luffy apologized. "I'm looking for the execution platform but I'm lost. Could you tell me the way?" Suddenly Luffy spotted the skull on the table the old man was sitting that, "Whoa! It's a huge skull! That is so cool!"

"Killer Giant," the old man stated as he launched into a story, "One of the most feared villains to ever haunt the waters of the Grand Line. He sent hundreds of pirates to their death over the course of his life. But it only took Gold Roger a single blow to put the behemoth down for good."

"Gold Roger killed him?" said Luffy in surprise.

"With lightning speed!" the old man exclaimed. "You see, Killer Giant was known for using this massive blade… but it didn't matter! The whole fight was over before he could even raise it. And here's the wound that did it…" The old man pointed to a large crack in the top of the skull, Luffy stared in surprise and enjoyed hearing about his hero. "Killer Giant was a giant waste of flesh anyway but he proclaimed with his dying breath… _'Gold Roger… you will forever be the King of the Pirates…'_"

"Aweeesome!" Luffy exclaimed, he was absolutely rattled with excitement. "Tell me more!"

"Uggghh… nobody ever wants to hear my stories these days," the old man sighed.

"But I do! Keep going!" Luffy requested.

"Don't rush me," the old man requested, "In those days and maybe even now, Gold Roger was the only man I've known that was unafraid of entering the Grand Line. Back then, the Grand Line was a mysterious place, boats that chose to venture there were never seen or heard from again. It was a sea of evil that people feared."

"_Old man, get me more rum, the whole bottle!" Gold Roger ordered as he sat on the same stool Luffy was sitting on now. Back then the bar was full of activity and pirates, and the old man didn't look so old._

"_So what are we celebrating?" asked the old man._

"_Hahahaha," Gold Roger laughed as he drank from the rum bottle, "It's more of a farewell. I'm traveling to the Grand Line tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see what it holds in store!"_

"_You can't go there! That place is evil!" the old man protested._

"_What's wrong with a little evil?" questioned Gold Roger. "Hahahaha! I'll just have to see it for myself! How about some more rum? A whole barrel!"_

"After that, he drank the entire place dry," the old man continued to tell Luffy, "He set out the next morning just like he was going sight-seeing. Then, when I'd heard he'd conquered the Grand Line, I wasn't surprised. I was happy to hear that he was the one to survive those evil seas. On this day twenty-two years ago Gold Roger died on the execution platform and that's how it started. That's when it all began, the so-called Great Pirate Era where everyone with a boat claims to be a pirate. But look around this once great town, I'll bet you won't be able to find yourself a real pirate, nothing here but cowards and scum. Men brave enough to make the journey to the Grand Line have all disappeared these waters. There are no more true pirates left, that's why I'm closing down."

"I'm going to the Grand Line," Luffy stated as he sat on the stool swinging his feet, the old man stared in surprise. "Hell yeah! Gold Roger's exactly how a pirate's supposed to be, that's why I'm here, to go to the Grand Line and get my hands on the One Piece… and then… be King of the Pirates."

The old man stared at Luffy and for a second thought he was seeing Gold Roger sitting in the strange boy with a straw hat's place. "Those are some pretty big words," the old man commented once he'd gotten over his shock. "Even more so cause you're in this bar."

"I only said what I meant," Luffy replied, he wasn't one to lie or brag.

"Heeheeheh," the old man chuckled, "young man, if there are still people like you out there, should I hold off on closing this place?"

"I don't know, I could just be me," Luffy admitted.

"That's right, it _could_ just be you," the old man agreed, "In that case, let's have a drink. I haven't been in this good a mood in some time." The old man got up and walked behind the bar where he went about getting a drink for himself and the strange boy that sounded eerily like Gold Roger.

"Um… I don't drink alcohol," said Luffy.

"Okay, then how about this?" the old man offered as he produced to glasses of cold milk. "Let's raise our glasses together, to the Eternal King of the Pirates." The old man took his hat off to reveal his balding forehead, his wrinkles, and his liver-spots before he raised his glass.

"Hahaha," Luffy laughed as he spun around on his stool and picked up his own glass, "Here's to the King of the Pirates!" **KLINK! **

**-x-**

Some time later, Luffy was gone and none-other-than Marine Captain Smoker came walking into the Gold Roger Bar. "Ughh… so it's you," the old man grumbled, who was still standing behind the counter with the two glasses on it. He didn't look all that happy to see the Marine Captain in his establishment.

"Now that's no way to treat a customer," Smoker retorted, "Especially your only one."

"Why don't you cut the crap!" the old man snapped, "you just want to see me close this place down!"

Smoker sat down on the stool next to the one Luffy had vacated, "You don't have the right to be angry with me," said Smoker. "I'm not the one who turned all the pirates around here into cowards. That was the decision they all made once they got to know me, that's all." It was then that Smoker noticed the TWO glasses on the counter, "Huh? Well isn't that nice so you had a guest. I think I'd like a taste of rum old man."

"I don't have any for _you_," the old man growled, apparently he reserved the right to refuse service to anyone.

"Don't be such a bastard," Smoker scolded, a cloud of smoke went over the bar and somehow grabbed a bottle of rum, the rum was lifted off of the shelf and placed on the counter in front of Smoker, **Tunk! **"Today is a very special day, don't ya think?" The old man glared over his shoulder as Smoker opened the rum bottle and drank from it.

"I can see it like it was yesterday," Smoker recalled when he put the rum bottle down, "The day he was executed."

**-x-**

"Finally, I found Main Street," Luffy realized as he walked through the street, still in search of the execution platform. The old man at the bar had given him very concise directions. "I wonder if Gold Roger ever walked down this street like me…" Little did Luffy know, twenty two years ago on that day, Gold Roger _did_ walk the same path that Luffy was taking.

**-x-**

"It was hot, like today…" Smoker remembered running down the street on that day twenty-two years ago. He was only twelve then, but he was one of the many there to witness the execution of the King of the Pirates, "That had 'im shackled as they led him down Main Street towards the square and the execution platform. He walked through town like it was a victory parade. Wealth… fame… power… Gold Roger obtained this and everything else life had to offer. He was facing his final moment before death but he acted like it was his coronation."

**-Smoker's Gold Roger Execution Flashback-**

Smoker distinctly remembered pushing through the crowd and seeing Gold Roger walk passed, the man turned and flashed him a big smile as he continued on his way to the platform. Roger had a shaggy head of black hair and a mustache/beard that went from his sideburns, over his mouth, and stopped under his nose. We wore brown boots, gray pants, a blue sash and a green shirt. He had a padded white collar and wore a dark red captain's coat that was lined in gold.

On the day of his execution Roger's hands were in a pair of wooden handcuffs and he was led down the street by a four soldier escort while countless other soldiers lined the streets.

"**Destiny… fate… dreams… As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life… these things shall not vanish from the earth." – Pirate King, Gold Roger**

"Do you have any final words?" asked one of the two solders that were standing on the execution platform Roger had been led to.

"Would you mind taking these off?" Roger joked as he held up the wooden cuffs, "They're beginning to chafe me quite a bit. Please?"

"I can't do that!" the soldier refused.

"Where am I going to run?" questioned Roger, before he shrugged the matter off, "That's alright, I guess I'm on my own for this one. Gold Roger walked over to the edge of the platform and sat down cross-legged with his cuffed hands in his lap. "Alright, let's get this over with."

The two soldiers drew their ceremonial swords and crossed them in front of Roger.

"HEY PIRATE KING!" a random man in the crowd called out, "TELL US WHERE YOU'VE HIDDEN ALL YOUR TREASURE!"

"YOU THERE, SHUT UP!" one of the soldiers yelled.

"THE LEGENDARY TREASURE!" the man continued to yell, "THE OOONNNE PIIEEECEEE!"

"Hahaha… AHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gold Roger laughed loudly as he sat on the execution platform. "YOU WANT MY TREASURE?" Roger called out to all the gathered people.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" ordered one of the soldiers as the two of them pointed their swords at Roger's neck.

"YOU CAN HAVE IT!" Roger continued. "I LEFT EVERYTHING I'VE GATHERED IN ONE PLACE… NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND IT!"

"EXECUTE HIM!" one of the soldiers called out in a panic, he and his partner stabbed Roger through the stomach with their swords. **SHUNK!** Thus ended the life of Gold Roger the King of the Pirates, but due to his words on the execution platform an entire generation of pirates had been inspired.

**-End Flashback-**

"That's how it all began," Smoker continued as he sat on the stool in the bar.

"**Hey!" **called out a new voice as another marine entered the bar. "Here's a new wanted poster, put it where people can see it." But then he noticed that his superior was seated at the bar, he dropped the flyer and saluted, "CAPTAIN SMOKER! My apologies sir!"

"Huh?" said Smoker as he got up and walked over to the poster that the marine had dropped. Smoker stared at it and saw the smiling face of Monkey D. Luffy,

"That's a straw hat," Smoker realized. "That kid was Monkey D. Luffy!" Smoker took off and ran straight for the execution platform, he knew where Luffy was going since the straw hat pirate had asked him for directions earlier. And unlike Luffy, he knew the fastest route from the bar to the town square.

**-x-**

"There it is," said Luffy, oblivious to the marine running his way, he'd finally found the execution platform and stood in the town square staring up at it. "This is where the executed the King of the Pirates."

**Gulp! **Luffy swallowed as he stared in awe at the spot where Gold Roger had died, "The place where the greatest pirate to ever life died… and the place where the Great Age of Pirates began…"

**-x-**

This is one of my favorite episodes in the anime. You get to learn about Gold Roger's carefree attitude even in the face of death… just like Luffy, and you get to see Gold Roger sitting in the bar… just like Luffy. The part where the old man in the bar stares at Luffy and sees Gold Roger sitting there in his place is straight-up epic. I've conditioned myself not to use that word unless I truly mean it and it really was epic.

Next chapter, Smoker catches up with Luffy and Zoro goes shopping for his new swords and has to deal with Sergeant Major Tashigi.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	47. Chapter 46

**Another Nakama**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Sergeant Major Tashigi:**

**-x-**

Luffy stood in the middle of the town square at Loguetown, he had finally found the execution platform. "This was the place where the greatest pirate who ever lived died," Luffy realized, "and the place where the Pirate Age began. I wanna see exactly what he saw then before he died. Well, here it goes…"

**-x-**

"Captain Smoker, where are you going?" a marine called after Smoker as he exited the Gold Roger Bar.

"The town square," Smoker answered gruffly.

"_Personal quest," Luffy replied when Smoker had asked him why he wanted to see the execution platform, "to see where the King of the Pirates died."_

"He'll be there, I'm sure," Smoker reasoned.

"You mean, Monkey D. Luffy?" questioned one of the marines.

"Captain, I'll relay the message to Lieutenant Devo," said another one of the marines as he saluted the marine captain.

"No need," Smoker told them. "Don't bother the Lieutenant for something like this, I don't need anybody's help."

**-x-**

**CLANK! CLANK!** Luffy climbed hand-over-hand up the execution scaffold, this probably wasn't allowed but he didn't really care, he wanted to see what Gold Roger saw before he died. People were gathered in the square and stared up at the strange boy with the straw hat as he climbed like a monkey and attempted to reached the top of the scaffold.

"**Hey! You! Kid!" **came the voice of Marine Captain Smoker as he stood on the ground and stared up at Luffy.

"I'm kinda busy right now, can it wait a minute?" questioned Luffy as he glanced over his shoulder at the nice marine he'd attempted to get directions from.

"You're him?" Smoker inquired, "The guy with the East Blue's biggest bounty?"

"Yeah, that's me, Monkey D. Luffy," Luffy introduced himself. **SLIP! **"WHOOAA!" Luffy cried out in surprise as he momentarily lost his hold on the scaffold and slipped downward.

"I'm Captain Smoker of the Marines and I'm in charge of keeping the peace in this town," Smoker stated, "You're under arrest."

"Huh, arrest?" said Luffy. "Forget that, see, I'm going to the Grand Line so that I can become King of the Pirates."

"King of the Pirates?" Smoker repeated, of all the places for the little punk to say that. He picked here at the scaffold where the former King of the Pirates was killed.

"And I refused to get arrested in this town," Luffy continued.

"Then you'll have to go through me," Smoker told him as he cracked his knuckles, "you don't get to enter the Grand Line unless you're able to beat me first. That's the rule of this town. Of course, that's assuming you'll be stupid enough to fight me."

"So your saying I can't get into the Grand Line unless a beat you first?" asked Luffy, "Well, I guess I'll have to beat you."

"Let's get started," Smoker challenged.

Luffy pulled back his fist and got ready to swing at the smoky marine, "GUM… GUM…" **WOING! **Luffy's rubber legs were tangled in the scaffold, resulting in him getting stuck and hanging upside down from the metal rigging of the platform.

"What's this… he's made out of rubber?" Smoker commented.

"No fair, my legs are all tangled up," Luffy complained as he hung upside-down and swung back and forth.

"HEY! COME ON! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Smoker yelled.

"I'm not up here because I wanna be, I'm stuck," Luffy attempted to explain as he sat up and pulled at his legs in an attempt to get free. "NNNYYAAAGGG! UUURRAAAGG!" **Sploing!** Luffy's legs pulled free and he came flying off of the scaffold, Luffy spun around and shot his arm out at Smoker, **VREEEING! **"I'M FREE! GUM... GUM… PISTOL!" **SWISH! **Smoker jumped over Luffy's arm as it impacted with the ground, **POW! **

"Too slow," Smoker taunted as he appeared behind Luffy and punched him in the face, **KA-POW! **Luffy was sent crashing down to the ground, but Smoker was already standing there and lashed out his leg at Luffy, **THWAK!** Luffy was punted back up into the air. "_He can't possibly be worth thirty million, I don't even need my Devil Fruit Powers. I can beat him with just my fists."_

Luffy was sent flying into the execution scaffold but got his feet out in time and bounced off of it then went flying at Smoker, "HERE I COME!" **KA-POW!** Luffy was met with a fist to the face courtesy of Smoker and was sent flying into the top of the execution scaffold **WHAM! **Luffy came crashing back down and landed on the ground in front of Smoker. **THUD!**

"Ugghhh…" Luffy groaned as he laid face-down on the ground.

"Twenty-two years ago I witness Gold Roger's death," said Smoker. "His final moments were proud, worthy of title King of the Pirates. But _you_, the King of the Pirates? Don't make me laugh. You can't even enter the Grand Line. Don't try to get up, there's no point."

Luffy didn't listen to Smoker's advice and staggered up to his feet, then he turned to his opponent and smiled, "Maybe, but I'll never know unless I try!" Luffy exclaimed. "HERE IT GOES!" Luffy pulled back his leg and stretched it out behind him, "GUM… GUM… WHIIIIP!" **WWWOOOOINNNG!** Luffy's leg came back and swung passed Smoker and wrapped around a fountain, **WA-WA-WOING!** "UH OH!" **FA-WUP! **Luffy's stretched leg retracted and he was sent flying passed Smoker up into the air, and off in a distance, "OH CRAP, I MISSED!"**TWINKLE!**

"That was… bizarre…" Smoker remarked as he stared after the flying rubber pirate. Monkey D. Luffy had escaped this time, but it wouldn't happen again.

**-x-**

"I've finally found you!" Sanji swooned, he'd finally managed to track down the beautiful woman that he'd spotted last chapter. "MY SOULMATE!"

"Huh?" said the woman as she looked down at the cook and revealed her round glasses, IT WASN'T HER!

"Uh… my mistake, sorry to bother you," Sanji apologized around the rose in his mouth.

"_Man, she was exquisite," _Sanji thought to himself as he remembered the beautiful woman. She wore a white cowboy hat, had dark hair, flawless skin, ruby red lips, the only downside was that she was wearing a bulky pink cloak with hearts all over it.

"**WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"** Sanji looked overhead intime to see Luffy go flying passed and off into a distance.

"Well that was new… sort of…" commented the cook.

**-x-**

The old man at the Gold Roger Bar was having an extremely busy day today. He'd gone from having barely one customer in Smoker's occasional visits, to five customers AND Smoker. Outside of the bar a large lion with a purple mane that was braided to look like handle bars was sleeping, a cloaked figure was resting against the lion but there was no mistaking the odd hair around his face. Both the man and the lion looked… familiar.

The old man sat behind the counter and watched the four other occupants of the bar. One was seemingly playing with cards that were marked with the insignia of Buggy the Clown. An Ace of Hearts and Ace of Spades were already out on the table, **FWIP!** A figure wearing a cloak that a round red nose was sticking out of flipped over another card to reveal and Ace of Diamonds. "The cards, they never lie," he said, "They tell me our time for flashy revenge is close at hand. That rubber bastard will finally get what's coming to him."

Beside the figure with the red clown nose was another cloaked man with long black hair and a blue and white striped scarf wrapped around his mouth. At another table sat a much larger cloaked figure, he appeared to be at least ten feet tall and was drinking a bottle of rum.

IT WAS BUGGY THE CLOWN AND HIS CREW! Buggy was sitting at a table attempted to do a Tarot Card reading with normal playing cards while his Second Mate Cabaji sat nearby and watched. Buggy's First Mate Mohji and his pet lion Richie were outside 'keeping watch' and that made the large man Shogi, the giant pirate who usually guarded Buggy's treasure. It looks like Buggy and his gang were looking to exact their revenge on Luffy.

"So, do those cards tell you if you kill the little twerp?" asked the final occupant of the bar. IT WAS SANJI'S DREAM GIRL!

"They're about to," Buggy replied as he went to flip over another card, "Voila!" **Fwip! **IT WAS THE JOKER!

"Oooh… that's not good," commented Sanji's dream girl.

**POW! **"SHIT!" Buggy cursed as he slammed his fists and head on the table.

"**WAAAAAAHHHHH!" **Outside the bar, Mohji woke up from his nap in time to see the pirate they were looking for fly overhead.

Mohji stuck his head down near the cellar-like window and called out into the bar, "CAPTAIN, QUICK! IT'S TIME!" Mohji shouted. Buggy, Cabaji, Shogi, and Sanji's Dream Girl all quickly left the bar in an attempt to find Luffy.

**-x-**

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" **WHAM!** Luffy finally landed and slammed down to the ground on the outskirts of Loguetown.

"Ughhh," Luffy groaned, "that was quite a flight. I flew far… what should I do now?" Luffy stared up at the clouds overhead, but didn't seem to have the patience for cloud watching that his first mate had. Luffy yawned then pulled his hat down over his face and promptly went to sleep where he was lying,** ZZZZZZZZZZ…**

"Uh… are you okay?" a civilian asked as a small group of people crowded around Luffy and stared down at him.

"I think he's dead," commented a woman that had seen the boy fall out of the sky.

**Zzzzzzzz…** The civilians all stared down at the sleeping pirate unsure of what to make of him.

**-x-**

Elsewhere, Zoro was being led through Loguetown by the girl swordsman who's glasses he'd accidentally broken.

"Hey… wait… hold on… where are we going?" Zoro attempted to ask as he followed after the blue haired girl.

"I can't believe you broke my glasses," said the girl.

"I told you, I'll pay you back," Zoro reminded her.

"You'll pay me back?" the girl repeated. "You look like you barely have any money."

Zoro had _some _money but he was still kind of short to get the two swords he needed. Paying for this girl's expensive glasses would set him back a lot. "Uh… well…" Zoro attempted to explain.

"I knew it!" the girl interrupted as she stopped walking and turned around to face Zoro. Since he'd broken her glasses, she walked up close to him and glared at him. "I can tell by the look on your face that you're pretty desperate. What is it? Your sick mother needs medicine? Or did your wife run away with another man and leave you all alone to raise the children by yourself?"

"Hey, hold on!" Zoro attempted to cut her off. The only thing running through his mind was: _"WHAT THE HELL?"_

"Don't explain," the girl interrupted again, "just come with me." Zoro reluctantly followed, but became even more reluctant when he realized that the girl was leading him to the Loguetown Marine Headquarters.

"Uggghh… marines…" Zoro groaned, this wouldn't end well, here he was… a pirate, walking into a marine base.

**-x-**

"Here," said the girl as she handed Zoro a bucket and a mop, "lucky for you, our janitor quit this morning. Once you start working for the marines you'll never have to worry about money problems again. There will always be a job here for you."

"Not a chance in hell!" Zoro refused as he attempted to hand the bucket and mop back. "I don't work for marines!"

"You can't leave now, I expect to be paid back for my glasses!" said the girl.

"Yeah, and I…" Zoro started to say but the girl once again cut him off.

"Maybe once you're done cleaning the floors you can work on cleaning up your attitude if this is the way you're going to repay my kindness!"

"YEAH… BUT I…" Zoro attempted to explain once again, he was ready to pay the annoying girl off right here and be done with the whole thing, he didn't care how much it set him back.

"**Sergeant Major!" **came the voice of a marine as he approached and saluted the girl, "It's time for training."

"I'll be back to check on you," the 'Sergeant Major' told Zoro, before she walked off with the marine.

"She's a Sergeant?" Zoro said to himself, but then he realized that he was stuck in the marine base with a mop and bucket and was expected to clean the floors, "AWWW… CRAP!"

**-x-**

Outside, Nami was walking down the street humming to herself while holding a big sack of clothes and several other shopping bags. "Shopping always makes me feel better," Nami said to herself.

She stopped when she noticed a pair of familiar wanted posters pinned to the wall. Luffy was smiling at her and Ricky was giving her the finger.

"**Oh, hey Nami,"** came a voice, Nami turned around in surprise and spotted the real 'One Eye' Ricky with Usopp walking along beside him. Both of them were carrying sacks of their own. The head of a pair of shovels and a pick axe were sticking out of Ricky's sack while the sleeve of a padded black winter coat was poking out of Usopp's. "What's up?"

Nami turned and pointed at the wanted posters on the wall. "Oh, another one of those, huh?" questioned Ricky, he nudged Nami to the side and stepped up to the posters, **RIIIIIP!** Ricky tore his poster off the wall and crumpled it into a ball then stuffed it into his pocket. "There, problem solved. No one will recognize me if they don't know what I look like."

"What about Luffy and my poster?" asked Usopp.

"Luffy's probably already been spotted," Ricky replied, "and I doubt anyone will be paying enough attention to the poster to recognize the back of your head."

**Krek!** A door opened, and the three pirates suddenly realized they were standing next to a marine base. Ricky, Nami, and Usopp backed around the corner but were surprised to see ZORO come out from the marine base.

"Damn it, how'd this happen to me?" Zoro grumbled as he put down a trash can and headed back inside.

"Zoro!" Usopp exclaimed.

"What's he doing working for the marines?" Nami wondered.

The two of them turned and noticed Ricky sporting a sly grin, "Usopp, hold this," Ricky instructed as he handed the marksman his sack of treasure hunting tools.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Nami as Usopp took Ricky's bag. "You can't go in there, you've got a bounty on your head!"

"Of course I'm going in there," said Ricky, "how else am I gonna make fun of him?" With that, 'One Eye' Ricky, First Mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, Second Most Wanted Man in the East Blue, snuck into the Loguetown Marine Base.

**-x-**

**Skish… skish… skish…** Zoro dumped water on the floor and swept the mop through it in an attempt to clean it. "Crap, this is going to take the whole damn day," grumbled Zoro, "Unless…" Zoro picked up another mop, then put a third mop in his mouth. **Tmp!Tmp!Tmp! SKISH!SKISH!SKISH! **Zoro ran down the hall sweeping the floor with all three of his mops. The floor sparkled as he passed, in no time, Zoro was done.

"Three-Mop-Style Technique worked like a charm," Zoro commented, still holding a mop in his mouth.

**Klak! Klak! Klak!** Zoro's attention was drawn to some odd noises coming from out in the courtyard. Zoro looked out the window and saw the female Sergeant dueling with two marines using wooden swords.

"Rahh!" **WHIFF!** The girl dodged the attack from one marine and quickly struck him on the back with her sword, **WHAK!** The girl quickly got her sword up again in time to block the attack from the other marine, **KLAK! **The girl quickly broke through the marines guard and struck him on the back of the head, **WHAK! **The marine went crashing to the ground, leaving both of them lying at the Sergeant-Major's feet. She'd beaten them both at once and without her glasses, that said a lot about the girls sword-skills.

"One more time!" exclaimed one of the marines as the two of them struggled to get up again. **KLAK! KLAK! WHAK!** The first marine went down, **KLAK! WHAK!** And with that both marines were down. Zoro stared at the girl in awe, not only did she looked just like Kuina but she was also an accomplished female swordsman.

"**What are you doing?" **came a familiar voice from behind Zoro.

Zoro spun around and turned to face Ricky, who was still wearing his big sunglasses. "What're you doing in here?" Zoro demanded.

"I asked you first," Ricky pointed out.

"Uhh…" Zoro attempted to explain.

"Would you rather tell me about your new girlfriend or the Three-Mop-Style Technique?" Ricky inquired.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zoro snapped. "She looks just like Kuina… I ran into her earlier and accidentally broke her glasses. She wants me to pay her back."

"Then why don't you?" asked Ricky, "you have enough money to afford an expensive pair of glasses."

"I tried to tell her that but she wouldn't let me get a word in!" Zoro explained, "she's a nightmare!"

"Uh-huh," said Ricky as his signature sly grin appeared on his face, "so you agreed to work here as a janitor so you can pay her back with money that you already have?"

"That's about right," Zoro agreed, "what're you grinning at?"

"Nothing," replied the still grinning Ricky, "Did you get your swords?"

"No, all the decent ones are worth over five hundred thousand berries," Zoro answered. "All the really good swords are over a million. Even with the money I borrowed from Nami I don't—"

"Wait, you borrowed money from Nami?" Ricky interrupted. His grin was gone.

"I couldn't find you!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" asked Ricky, his voice was laced with pity, "you poor, clueless bastard, now you owe NAMI money. That greedy little she-devil will have you jumping through hoops to pay her back. If you know what's good for you, you'll pay her back now, she's just outside."

"Then what do I do about my swords?" questioned Zoro.

"The money I gave you was just to get the clerk to take you seriously," Ricky explained, "You were supposed to pick out two that you liked, find me, and I'd help you pay for the rest."

"Well I…" Zoro attempted to reply but was interrupted.

"**Hey, who're you?"** Zoro and Ricky turned around to see two marines standing in front of them.

"Wait, you're 'One Eye' Ricky and Roronoa Zoro!" one of the marines realized.

"Uh… no we're not," Ricky lied.

"Oh, well my mistake—WAIT A MINUTE!"

"Intel says that you guys are working together!" said the other marine, who appeared to be a little smarter than the other one, "you're both under arrest."

"Well, I can see how you'd think that," Ricky commented, "but on the other hand…" **POW!** Ricky lashed out and took the stupid marine by surprise and punched him right in the nose, knocking him out cold.

"Why you!" the other marine growled as he drew his sword and went to attack Ricky, **WHA-WHA-WHAK!** Zoro stepped in and used his Three-Mop-Style Technique against the other marine leaving both of them unconscious.

"I've gotta get out of here," said Ricky, "unlike you, I've got a bounty on my head." Ricky quickly ran off leaving Zoro standing over two marines holding three mops.

**-x-**

Ricky, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp were all hiding down an alley across the street from the Marine Base. Ricky had taken his sunglasses off and Zoro was attempting to explain how he'd ended up mopping floors in the marine base. "…then she ran off before I could get a word in, leaving me to clean the floors."

"Smooth," Usopp teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zoro insisted before anyone could say it.

"Did it ever occur to you that could've _not_ acted as the janitor?" Nami suggested.

"I don't like owing people money," said Zoro, "I owed her a pair of glasses. But I left some money on those marines before I left."

"Speaking of owing people money," Ricky commented, "Nami, how much does Zoro owe you?"

"One hundred thousand berries," Nami answered.

"…" Ricky stared at her.

"And… three hundred percent interest," Nami admitted.

"WHAT?" Zoro snapped.

Ricky shook his head, "Zoro, give her three hundred thousand berries," Ricky instructed.

Zoro glared at Nami and handed her the money, "I'll never trust _you_ again," he growled.

"Why would you bother swindling _any_ of them?" Ricky asked Nami, "there's really no challenge to it."

"I know," Nami agreed, "but I wasn't swindling _them_, I was swindling_ you_."

"..." Ricky stared wide-eyed at the girl who'd claimed to have swindled him.

"Heh," Zoro disguised a laugh with a _cough_ while Usopp gasped at the fact that the ship swindler had just been swindled.

"I knew the second you found out about my deal with Zoro, you'd help him pay me back," Nami explained, "The two million berries you gave me was on the condition that I buy casual clothes for everyone. I just made out with an extra two hundred thousand berries with no strings attached. Now I can buy shoes, books, and personal items for my room."

"..." Ricky was still silent, possibly in shock, leaving Usopp and Zoro to openly laugh at him.

"Ahahahahaha!" Usopp laughed.

"Heh heh," Zoro chuckled.

Nami smiled and stuck her tongue out at Ricky, she was happy to have pulled off her scheme.

"You're a real piece of work," said Ricky as finally got over his shock and stood up. "Of course, you know... this means war."

Zoro and Usopp promptly stopped laughing, the thought of Ricky actively coming after them with intent to swindle even terrified Zoro, Nami on the other hand stayed where she was and smiled, "Bring it on, tough guy." Nami – 1, Ricky – 0

Ricky fished into his pocket and tossed a few bills at Usopp, "There's two hundred thousand berries," said Ricky, "get whatever you need but remember what I taught you."

Usopp nodded and quickly pocketed his money, Ricky then turned to Zoro, "Here's three hundred thousand berries back, find two swords then find me. I've got a few million berries left, and if all else fails I can pawn off some gems. You're useless without your swords, so I'll do what I can to help you buy two decent ones. "

"Uh… thanks?" said Zoro as he caught the money Ricky tossed him. He was wondering if he should feel insulted that Ricky had called him useless or thankful that he was willing to go to such efforts so he _wasn't _useless.

Ricky turned to Nami and smiled, "You already got yours," he said with a small grin.

Nami glared at him, Zoro and Usopp both had extra cash now and they hadn't done anything to get it, Ricky had taken away from her victory by _giving away _money while she'd gone out of her way to swindle him out of it.

Ricky picked up the sacks that he and Usopp had been carrying and threw them over his shoulder, "I'm gonna head back to ship and drop off this stuff, want me to carry anything back for you?" he offered.

Nami stared at him, she clearly remembered him declaring war but now he was offering to carry her stuff to the ship for her. Was there some ulterior motive that she was missing? She wasn't about to just hand over all of her new clothes when he _clearly _couldn't be trusted. "Uh… no thanks, I'm good," Nami answered.

"Suit yourself," Ricky replied as he walked off, "I'll see you guys later."

Nami glared after Ricky, _now_ she realized what he was doing, she was acting paranoid and now she'd just missed out on a free offer of Ricky carrying her stuff back to the ship for her. "That's fine!" Nami called out after him, "I'll just go spend _your _money!" Zoro and Usopp quickly made themselves scarce.

**-x-**

**Kitetsu III and Yubashiri:**

**-x-**

Some time later, Zoro was walking down a street in Loguetown still looking for a place to buy swords. _"Man, that was just too weird," _Zoro thought to himself, _"She looked just like Kuina, not to mention she was a swordsman of all things. What a crazy world, I doubt I'll ever see her again."_

Zoro eventually spotted a sword shop and went in but found that the guy at the counter was fast asleep. The guy had funny looked black hair where he was mostly bald except for the parts of it that stuck out to the sides and a cross in the middle of his bald head. He had a rosy red nose that made him look like he had a cold and wore a baggy blue robe. The man's name was Matsu.

"I'd like to buy some swords," Zoro addressed the sleeping Matsu, causing him to jerk away.

"Huh? Oh! OF COURSE!" Matsu chimed with a big fake smile. "Welcome! Have a look at anything you'd like! We have an extremely large variety to choose from."

"I've got five hundred thousand berries, I need two swords," Zoro explained.

"Two for five hundred thousand?" Matsu repeated, _"Great… this guys an amateur." _"For two hundred fifty thousand a piece I can only sell you two cheap swords," Matsu told him, his fake smile was gone and he looked irritated.

"I'll make do with anything as long as it works," Zoro replied, "I could get more money if that's the problem."

"_Ugh…"_ Matsu signed to himself, _"You can't make do with whatever unless you're an amateur. This bum barely has enough money."_

But then Matsu spotted the katana sheathed at Zoro's waist, _"THAT SWORD! COULD IT BE?" _"Hold on a second, I just wanna take a look at that s-sword you got there. Is that o-okay with you, p-pal?"

"You okay there buddy?" asked Zoro, he was starting to get concerned, this guy was a bigger flip-flop than Usopp. First he was happy then he was irritated and now he seemed a little over-eager.

"Let me see!" Matsu exclaimed.

"Yeah, sure," Zoro agreed as he pulled his white sheathed sword off of his waist and put it on the counter.

Matsu carefully pulled the sword out of its sheath and stared at it bug-eyed, _"THIS IS REALLY IT! Stay cool… p-p-p-poker face… p-p-poker face… a complete amateur just walked in with a legendary sword… IT'S SHOWTIME!"_

"Wow, that's a pretty nice sword you got," Matsu commented once he calmed down, "Wanna sell it? I'll give you four hundred thousand berries for it. Then you'll have nine hundred thousand berries and you'll be able to buy three swords for three hundred thousand berries each."

"What! Are you kidding me?" asked Zoro, this guy wanted him to _sell_ the sword that carried his dream.

"Alright, I'll give ya six hundred thousand berries," Matsu offered. "No wait, seven hundred fifty thousand!"

"Just stop, I'm not selling it," Zoro refused, that sword carried his dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman, he wouldn't sell it for a billion berries.

"TOUGH GUY!" Matsu screamed, "I'LL BUY IT FROM YOU FOR A MILLION BERRIES! BUT THAT'S MY FINAL OFFER!"

**Krek! **The door to the store opened and an eerily familiar voice called out, "I'm back!"

Zoro stood stock still when the blue-haired marine Sergeant-Major from earlier came in and ran up to the counter. "Did you finish polishing my _Shigure_?"

Then the girl noticed the guy standing at the counter next to her and recognized him, "YOU'RE OKAY!" she exclaimed. "I was worried about you. See, some marines were attacked earlier right where you'd been mopping the floors. You were gone though so I just assumed that you had been kidnapped."

"_She's… not very bright,"_ Zoro realized.

"The fact that you're here means that you must've run away," the Sergeant Major reasoned. "Sad, you really must have no idea how to accept love when it comes your way, do you?" The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out some money, "So here's your stupid money back, I don't need it. I can't accept money from a heartless ingrate." Zoro resisted the urge to yell at her as she produced another pair of red framed rectangular glasses. "Besides, I have a spare pair of glasses."

With her glasses on, the blue haired girl spotted the white-sheathed katana on the counter, "That sword looks just like the _Wado Ichimonji_!" the girl exclaimed as she snatched the sword away from Matsu and inspected it. "Is this really the sword?"

Matsu was freaking out internally,_ "STOP TALKING! STOP TALKING!"_

The Sergeant Major drew the sword and raised her glasses so she could inspect the blade, "It's beautiful! This has to be one of the 21 Ō Wazamono Swords!" (Ō Wazamono = Great Grade Swords) The girl pulled out a little red book and paged through it to a picture of _Wado Ichimonji_, "See, it says here that this sword is worth no less than ten million berries!" The girl turned and stared at Zoro, "You're broke, how do you have this legendary sword?"

"SSSHHHAAA! YOU JUST HAD TO KEEP TALKING DIDN'T YA?" Matsu snapped, "I'M GONNA SUE YOUR ASS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF BUSINESS!"

"Obstruction of business?" the Sergeant Major repeated, "I'm sorry, I don't know what I did but please forgive me."

"Here, I finished polishing your precious _Shigure_ for ya, now just take it and get out," snapped Matsu as he pulled a sheathed sword out from behind the counter and threw it at her. "I don't wanna see you in my store again!"

The girl was caught off guard by her sword being thrown at her and staggered backwards, then tripped and ended up crashing into a display of swords and knocking all of them over, **KRATA-KRASH!**

"JUST GET OUT BEFORE YOU TEAR MY STORE APART!" Matsu yelled.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," the clumsy Sergeant Major apologized.

"Did she ever help you dodge a bullet," Matsu commented as he turned his attention back to Zoro, "it is a complete waste to have such a legendary sword attached to someone who has no idea of its true value. There's a bunch of cheap swords in those barrels over there, those're probably more up your alley."

Zoro took his sword _'Wado Ichimonji'_ back and walked over to the three barrels the man had indicated. _"What is that guy's problem?"_ wondered Zoro as he put his sword back on his waist, he didn't _collect_ swords he _used_ them.

"You must lose a lot of swords if you think you have to carry three of them," came the voice of the Sergeant Major as she walked up behind Zoro and watched him rummage through the barrels, "Unless of course, you're like that famous Pirate Hunter."

"Pirate Hunter, yeah," Zoro repeated, not really listening.

"He's quite the legend, his name is Roronoa Zoro," the Sergeant Major informed Roronoa Zoro.

"Oh, yeah him," Roronoa Zoro replied. "I know that name _well_."

"He's known throughout the East Blue for his amazing sword skills," the girl continued, "but he's not a good person. A swordsman who is just a bounty hunter is no honorable swordsman at all. Everything's backwards, it's really too bad for _real_ swordsmen. Pirates and bounty hunters as Master Swordsman, it just doesn't make any sense. But they have most of the world's legendary swords too. It's a real tragedy."

"Heh," Zoro chuckled, "I don't know, it's the kind of thing you have to look at in a case-by-case basis, I guess. You never know what people are capable of."

"This is my _Shigure!"_ said the Sergeant Major as she held up her sword, "I'm going to work as hard as I can to perfect my skills and one day I'll take back all the legendary swords because the filthy hands that hold them now have no right to wield them! I'll collect the 12 Top Ō Wazamonos, the 21 Ō Wazamonos, as well as the Ryō Wazamonos. I'LL FIND THEM ALL!" **(A/N: Like I said before the prologue, only swords and fighting styles would be in Japanese. Sword categories count as swords.)**

Zoro turned and stared at her, "And this one?" he asked as he gestured to the sword at his waist, "my sword? The _Wado Ichimonji_?" Zoro didn't know if he should take the marine's words as a threat or not, but he flicked part of the blade out of its sheath.

"I'm not trying to get the legendary swords back for my sake!" the girl clarified, "I just don't want criminals to have them."

Zoro turned back to the barrel, and that's when he spotted it. _"This sword is…"_ Zoro reached in and pulled out a katana with a fancy red sheath.

The girl looked over Zoro's shoulder at the blade he'd found and flipped through her sword book, "I think that's… just as I thought… Kitetsu… _Kitetsu III_." Matsu started shaking as the girl read from her book, "Its predecessor _Kitetsu II _was a Ō Wazamono… and the first _Kitetsu _before that was a Top Ō Wazamono Sword." The girl turned to Matsu, "Hey, how much is this one?"

"Uh… fifty thousand…" Matsu mumbled as he timidly stared at the blade as Zoro slid it out of its sheath.

"Unbelievable!" the girl commented, "That's an authentic Ryō Wazamonos! Wow, you _have_ to buy that sword! It's worth a least a million berries or more, you can't pass it up, its too valuable."

"Damn it… I CAN'T SELL IT!" Matsu reluctantly called out.

"I didn't think so," said the blue-haired girl, "I knew there must've been some mistake. This is a legendary sword…"

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Matsu interrupted.

Zoro gripped the handle of _Kitetsu III_ and gave a practice swing, "This sword's cursed," Zoro stated.

"Huh? How do you know?" asked Matsu, he was genuinely curious.

"I just… do," Zoro answered.

"The Kitetsu Swords are superior in all respects," Matsu explained, "But they've been cursed since their beginnings, you have to believe me. There are stories from all over of Master Swordsmen that met their death after taking up a Kitetsu Sword. Nobody is even stupid enough to even touch them these days, and you'll fall to its curse as well if you decide to take it. I'm scared to let you buy it cause I'm afraid it'll curse me too, just leave it alone."

"How horrible, I'm so sorry," the Sergeant Major apologized as she bowed to Zoro, "I didn't know it was cursed, that's why I was so pushy. It would be death to take the sword."

"Sounds great," Zoro replied as he held up the cursed sword, "I think I'll take it!" Both Matsu and the Sergeant Major stared at Zoro in shock.

"I CAN'T SELL IT, YA FOOL!" Matsu yelled, "IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU WITH THAT SWORD THEN THE CURSE COULD COME BACK TO ME!"

**WOMP!** Matsu's chubby wife suddenly came from the back and clubbed him on the head, "Now don't be an idiot," Matsu's wife scolded him, "Let 'em buy that sword ya old fool!"

"DON'T HIT ME!" Matsu snapped.

"Well, we'll see," Zoro resolved, "How 'bout we find out which one is stronger, this sword's curse, or my good luck." **SHWUK! **Zoro threw the cursed blade up into the air over his head then stuck his arm out as it started to come down.

"NO!" the Sergeant Major gasped.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE GONNA CHOP YOUR ARM OFF, YOU FOOL!" Matsu screamed, "DON'T!"

The girl, Matsu, and Matsu's wife were all silent as they watched the sword come down. **Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…** The cursed blade flipped end over end as it came closer and closer to Zoro's outstretched arm. **Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh… SHUNK!** THE SWORD PASSED ZORO'S ARM AND EMBEDDED INTO THE FLOOR!"

Time started up again as Zoro opened his eyes and grinned, "I'll take it," he decided. Matsu and the Sergeant Major both dropped to their knees in shock.

Zoro turned to the shocked girl as he pulled the cursed sword out of the floor, "Hey, pick out another," Zoro requested, "you've got a good eye on you."

"Um… okay…" the girl agreed.

"HEY YOU! WAIT HERE!" Matsu called out as he got up and ran up the stairs to who-knows-where. He came back a few seconds later carrying something covered in a purple sheet. **TUNK!** Matsu slammed it down on the counter and pulled the sheet off to reveal a sword in a wooden holder. The sword was in a shiny black sheath and looked expensive. "It is covered in a special black finish with an uneven temper pattern. Our shop is small, this is the finest sword I have and a Ryō Wazamono _Yubashiri_."

"I don't have enough for that," Zoro admitted, "it's too much."

"No matter," Matsu replied, he finally sounded honest and genuine. "I'll give it to you free of charge if you take it. You're welcome to _Kitetsu III_ as well, you deserve it. I haven't come across a real swordsman in a while. Sorry I tried to cheat you before, you must have some damn good luck, friend."

**-x-**

Zoro left the shop now feeling complete. He had the sword he'd placed his dream on _Wado Ichimonji_ an Ō Wazamono worth over ten million berries but a hundred times that to him. A cursed blade _Kitetsu III_, a Ryō Wazamono worth over a million berries whose curse wasn't able to overcome his luck. And finally another Ryō Wazamono called _Yubashiri_, it was the best sword in the shop and Zoro had been given it and _Kitetsu III _for free. Zoro hadn't spent a single berri in the sword shop but had come out with two amazing swords. He was ready for the Grand Line now.

"_I definitely feel better having three swords again,"_ Zoro thought to himself as he walked through the street in Loguetown.

**-x-**

"What the hell?" Matsu's wife scolded him, "you can't buy me anything nice but you can give away our best sword!"

"That sword belongs in the hands of a true swordsman," Matsu replied.

**THUNK!** "Here, why don't you take out the garbage," Matsu's wife suggested as she slammed the trashcan down on the counter.

"Yes ma'am," Matsu agreed as he took the can and headed out back.

"Who was that guy?" the Sergeant Major wondered.

**-x-**

Elsewhere, Luffy had finally woken up from his nap and stretched. "That was nice," commented Luffy as he got up. "Alright, where was I? EXECUTION PLATFORM!" Luffy wandered off in search of the platform once again, oblivious to the group of cloaked figures that were looking for him with malevolent intent.

"Are you sure you saw that little rubber idiot here earlier?" Buggy asked Mohji who was riding his lion/bike.

"I'm sure," Mohji answered.

"Urgghh… alright, keep looking," Buggy groaned as he and he crew split up in search of the straw hats.

"Now where's the darn platform?" Luffy wondered as he ran down a random street.

"Straw Hat, Straw Hat," Buggy muttered as he walked backwards up to Luffy.

Luffy and Buggy stood back to back, one looking for the platform the other looking for the other.

"Where is it?" "Where is he?" Luffy looked left while Buggy looked right.

"Where is that bastard!" "Hmmm… where is it?" Luffy looked low ande Buggy looked high.

"Where is he?" "Where's that platform?" Luffy looked high while Buggy looked left.

"That way," said Buggy as he and Luffy both looked right.

"OH THANKS!" Luffy exclaimed as he took off running 'that way'. "WOOOHOOO!"

Buggy's eyes bugged out comically as he watched the rubber pirate he was looking for run off, "YAAAAAHHH! THAAAAT'S HIIIIIIIM!" Luffy got away.

**-x-**

"Sir, we've incarcerated Galley the Crescent and his men," Lieutenant Devo reported to Captain Smoker back at the Loguetown Marine Base. "But Monkey D. Luffy and his men are still here somewhere in Loguetown."

**Tunk! Tunk! **Smoker sat back in his chair and put his feet up on a table with Luffy's wanted poster on it, "He's not gonna try to hide," Smoker stated. "He'll find me. I'm sure of it."

"**CAPTAIN SMOKER!" **came a loud shout as the female Sergeant Major came running into the room carrying her sword _Shigure_. "Has something happened!"

"Tashigi, where the hell have you been?" Smoker demanded.

"**Captain… we have news…"** came yet another new voice. The two marines that Zoro and Ricky had knocked out earlier staggered into the room.

"I'm so glad you guys are conscious again!" a relieved Sergeant Major Tashigi exclaimed.

"It was Roronoa Zoro the Pirate Hunter… and 'One Eye' Ricky…" one of the two marines explained, "They attacked us."

"Why would a pirate and a pirate hunter work together?" Smoker wondered, "and why would they attack you imbeciles?"

"We came across the two of them inside the marine base," the other marine reported, "we have no idea how they got here."

"How could a pirate worth 20,000,000 berries sneak into our base without any of us noticing?" questioned Devo.

"Don't worry about it," said Smoker. "We'll focus our effort on capturing the Captain. Once we get him we'll use him as bait to capture the others."

"Yes Captain," Lieutenant Devo agreed. "I'll instruct our squads to concentrate their efforts on apprehending 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy."

"No need," Smoker replied, "we don't need to find him. He'll find us." _"I'll definitely catch him," _Smoker thought to himself, _"I'm sure of it."_

**-x-**

**Tmp! Tmp! Tmp! Tmp! **Luffy ran down yet another random street in search of the execution platform, despite his dismal luck and lack of navigation skills, he was in high spirits, "YAAAAHHOOOOO!"

"_This time, I'll make it to the top of that platform,"_ Luffy thought to himself, _"I will stand where he stood and see what he saw!"  
_

**-x-**

Luffy's still searching for the platform, Zoro's got his swords, Ricky, Nami, and Sanji are all still shopping. Next chapter we hit filler and Usopp finds himself in a duel with the famous bounty hunter of the East Blue: Daddy the Father.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	48. Chapter 47

**Another Nakama:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Daddy the Father:**

**-x-**

**Tmp! Tmp! Tmp! Tmp! **Luffy ran down a crowded street once again searching for the town square and the execution scaffold. _"I'm almost there,"_ Luffy thought to himself, _"I can't wait to stand in the same place Gold Roger stood and see what he was before he died."_

Luffy suddenly stopped and stared around him, "That's weird, how the heck did I get all the way back here?" Luffy wondered. He was lost.

**-x-**

Someone who _wasn't _lost was Luffy's First Mate, Ricky was currently standing in front of the big safe he'd stopped to buy on his way back to the ship. Ricky shook his head as he stared at the gems inside. "Damn safe was freaking expensive, but after what Nami pulled earlier, I think it's worth it."

The safe was state of the art and was a piece of new technology. Instead of a lock that needed a key, or a dial that needed a combination, there was a digital keypad on the front. Ricky had programmed a six digit combination and was now confident that Nami wouldn't be able to break into his safe and steal his treasure. **(A/N: Key-pad locks DO exist in the One Piece World. Franky puts one on the refrigerator of the Thousand Sunny.)**

**KLUNK! Click!** Ricky closed the gem-filled safe and it automatically locked then he walked over to his sword _Akaikyuuketsuiki_ and put it on his belt before he climbed out of the men's quarters. "Now I'll get some clothes and figure out how to make some quick money. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to buy Zoro's swords without having to sell my gems."

Ricky put his sunglasses back on and leapt from the ship to the dock, **TMP!** Ricky put his hands in his pockets and walked off, "Hopefully Luffy hasn't gotten in any trouble yet."

**-x-**

"Captain Smoker," said Lieutenant Devo back at the Marine Base, "I've received several reports from concerned civilians that have spotted Monkey D. Luffy wandering through town."

**WHAP! **"Captain Smoker!" Sergeant Major Tashigi exclaimed as she slammed her hands down on Smoker's desk, "If this Luffy guy is still on the island then we need to blockade the ports immediately."

"There's no need to worry," Captain Smoker replied as he casually sat with his feet up on his desk while reading a newspaper.

"Then what should I tell the people?" asked Lt. Devo, "there's a wanted fugitive wandering through the streets in broad daylight without a care in the world. Some of the civilians are starting to get worried that we aren't doing anything."

"Then tell them that we have a trap set," Smoker instructed, "and that we're just waiting for him to spring it."

"**Wait! You can't go in there!"** came a voice from outside the office. **"The Captain's in a meeting!"**

**KREK!** The door opened and a man stood there carrying three unconscious men on his shoulders. He had black hair and thick black eyebrows, a black beard, and a black mustache, he wore a black cowboy hat with a red strip of fabric around the base that hid one of his eyes, a bulky gray cloak, blue pants, black fingerless gloves, and black boots with red laces. He looked like a cowboy.

"Mr. Masterson," Lieutenant Devo greeted as he spun around and saluted the cowboy-like man.

"How ya doin' Smoker… Devo?" Masterson returned.

"Well if it isn't Daddy," Smoker commented as he looked out from behind his newspaper at the now completely identified Daddy Masterson.

Daddy dropped the three men he was carrying on the ground, **THUD! THUD! **"Here's Two-Pistol Pete and the Riley Brothers," Daddy Masterson explained.

"And all three have bounties?" Smoker inquired.

"No all four," corrected Daddy, "I dropped a Brother off at the Morgue." Masterson crossed the room and handed Smoker a clipboard, "If you wouldn't mind signing for them, I sure would appreciate it."

"A million berries for four guys," Smoker read off the clipboard, "Times are tough."

"The work may be cheap but it's steady," Masterson replied while Smoker found a pen and signed off on the clipboard. "I'm fine bringing in the small fish that move through these waters. I'm not really interested in heading out to sea to chase those two new big catches."

"The marine's best sniper being reduced to being a common street-cleaner," Smoker stated as he handed over the clipboard, "It's sad."

"I don't wanna risk my life anymore," said Masterson before he cast a quick glance at Lieutenant Devo, "besides, you have my former protégé working for you."

"How's Carol?" asked Devo.

"She's fine," Daddy answered as she turned and headed for the door.

"Tell her I said 'hi'," instructed Devo.

"Sure," Masterson agreed as he exited the office and waved over his shoulder at the three marine officers. "I'll tell her Uncle Devo said 'hello'."

"That was Daddy Masterson the Bounty Hunter," Tashigi realized, she had been silent through the whole exchange.

"That's right," said Devo, "He and Captain Smoker enlisted in the Marines at the same time. He was one of the elite, a natural with a gun, he still is I suppose. When I enlisted he took me under his wing and taught me almost everything I know. It was an honor to learn under someone who appeared to be destined to do great things."

"Then why is he just a bounty hunter?" Tashigi wondered.

"No one knows," Devo replied while Smoker went back to his newspaper, "most people assume it's because he wants to be there for his daughter Carol. But anyone who really knows him would be able to tell it's something else. It's just that nobody knows what."

**-x-**

"So he really gave them both to you for free?" asked Ricky, he ran into Zoro and was pleased to learn that he'd already gotten his two new swords. Now the two of them were sitting together on some steps casually overlooking the busy streets of Loguetown.

"Yup, confused me too," Zoro replied as he held his new sword _Kitetsu III _up in front of him and stared at the blade, "It's called _Kitetsu III _and apparently it's cursed. I gave it a chance to cut my arm off but my good luck was more potent than the sword's curse cause it didn't even scratch me. The guy was so impressed he gave me this sword and my other new one _Yubashiri_ for free."

"And that was _after_ he tried to screw you over and buy your other sword?" questioned Ricky.

"Yeah," Zoro answered, "I ran into that Sergeant Major in the sword shop, according to the book she had it's something called an Ō Wazamono named _Wado Ichimonji_ and is worth about 10,000,000 berries."

"So you've been carrying a legendary blade around with you all this time and didn't even care," Ricky commented. "From what you told me and those two vows you took with that sword, I'd guess its worth a hundred times that."

"You could say that," Zoro agreed.

Ricky paused and stared at Zoro's two new swords, "Your cursed blade is worth about five million berries, the other one is worth about three and a half," Ricky informed Zoro by using his treasure sense on the valuable swords. "If I total them all together that makes eighteen million five hundred berries. I just need to remember that number and I'll be able to find you using my Treasure Sense if you ever get lost."

"Is that how you found me?" Zoro asked.

"Sort of," Ricky replied as he drew his own sword and held it up, "My sword _Akaikyuuketsuki _is a Ō Wazamono too," said Ricky, as he stared at the blood-red blade. "I originally thought all the legendary swords were katana-style. I was shocked when I found a picture of it in a sword catalogue. That's where I learned about the blood sacrifice the sword requires. If I'd drawn it without giving it the required blood, I'd most likely be dead."

Ricky glanced to the side and seemingly noticed something out of the corner of his eye, he sat up straighter and held his sword up in the air, resulting in the light from the sun to refract off of the shiny red blade. "Cursed swords may be difficult to wield at first," Ricky continued, "but once you get used to them and they get used to you, they'll stick with you through anything."

Zoro glanced at where Ricky was refracting the light to and spotted Luffy wandering seemingly aimlessly through the street below them. Unfortunately, the captain's straw hat was keeping the refracted light from getting in his eye so Ricky was having trouble getting his attention.

"Shine it on the ground in front of him," Zoro suggested as he held up his own cursed blade and used it to refract the light onto the street in front of Luffy.

Luffy continued to walk down the street when he suddenly noticed something funny about the street. There were two moving rectangles of light in front of him, one was white the other had a red tint to it. Luffy looked up to see where the light was coming from and spotted two familiar people with red and green hair that were using their respective swords to shine the light at him.

Luffy smiled and quickly ran over to his Nakama and joined them on the steps. "HEY!" Luffy loudly greeted them. Ricky reached out and grabbed Luffy's arm and cut him with his red sword, **slik! **"HEY!"

"Keep your voice down," Ricky instructed as Luffy's blood was absorbed into his sword. "I'm surprised the marines haven't spotted you yet if you've been shouting loudly while wandering down the middle of the street."

"Oh, okay," Luffy agreed, "so why are you guys just sitting here?"

"I ran into Zoro and we decided to take a break while he explained how he got his new swords," Ricky explained, "what're you up to?"

"Me?" questioned Luffy, "I'm completely lost."

"Are you _still_ looking for the execution platform?" asked Ricky.

"I found it at one point," Luffy replied, "but some marine guy showed up and I ended up on the other side of town… I think. I've been trying to get back but I can't seem to find it again."

"Wait…" said Zoro, "you ran into a marine at the platform but managed to escape and now you want to _go back_?"

"Yup," Luffy answered, "do you guys know how to get there?"

"Yeah, you just need to find Main Street and walk all the way down it," Ricky told him. "If it's not at one end, it'll be at the other."

"**HEY! THERE HE IS!"** came a loud shout from down below them. Luffy, Ricky, and Zoro looked down at the street and spotted a man that looked like a cowboy and was wearing a black and red cowboy hat and a gray cloak. Ricky's eye went wide and he grabbed the back of Luffy's red shirt and dragged him up to the top of the steps they were sitting on, before the ducked down behind a railing.

"Shhhhh…" Ricky hissed at Luffy, telling him to be quiet as they turned their attention back to the cowboy and saw him surrounded by five men.

"BASTARD!" one of the five men shouted at Daddy Masterson, the five of them drew guns and swords and pointed them at the bounty hunter. "YOU SOLD OUT OUR FRIENDS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO PAY! NOW…"

**Woosh… woosh… **Masterson was lightning-fast as he drew two pistols.

"…DIE!" the man finished his shout.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!** Masterson opened fire and a second later four of the five men gasped and fell to the ground, **FWUMP!**

"HUH?" Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

Daddy turned around to face the remaining man who appeared to be more of young kid. The kid was so surprised at seeing how quickly the other men had been dispatched that he fell backwards and landed on his ass, **THUD!**

Masterson approached the terrified kid and pulled a cigarette out from the inside of the kid's shirt, "Why don't you go run home kid and see if your mom's got supper ready," Daddy suggested as he bent the cigarette in half in his hand and dropped it on the ground.

The kid got up and ran off screaming while Ricky had to cover Luffy's mouth to muffle his shouts, "MFFFF MFMMF! MMFM MFF'F MFMFMMF FMFMFFFFMMFF!" (Translation for anyone who doesn't speak muffled: Hey Ricky! That guy's totally awesooomeee!)

"I think that's… Daddy the Father, Bounty Hunter" the former Pirate Hunter realized.

"And we're pirates with bounties," Ricky whispered to Luffy, "while he might not be able to do anything to you, I'd prefer if we weren't shot at." Luffy nodded and the two of them joined Zoro back on the steps as they watched Daddy 'the Father' Masterson gather up the four men that he'd shot and carry them off.

"I've gotta get going," Ricky announced once the bounty hunter was out of sight. "Zoro, could I get some of that money back since you didn't need it?"

"Oh sure," Zoro agreed as he fished into his pocket and pulled the 500,000 berries that he hadn't spent. Ricky put most of it in his pocket save for 100,000 berries and gave that back to Zoro.

"In case you get hungry or see anything else you want to buy," Ricky offered, "Zoro, Luffy, I'll see you guys around." With that Ricky leapt over the railing of the stairs and landed in a crouch in the street below.

"See ya!" Luffy called after him as he walked off.

**-x-**

Usopp happily walked through the streets of Loguetown, his utility pouch and the shopping bag that was tied to it, were stuffed with all the stuff that bought to make into attacks for his slingshot. Thanks to Ricky's advice, he hadn't been ripped off.

_Always keep an eye on the salesperson. There's a difference between perky and over-eager. It's the over-eager ones that'll screw you over._

_Be sure to examine the merchandise thoroughly before you buy it. You don't want to buy something and find out later that it's a piece of junk._

_If you're confused about something, ask the salesperson. Think about the explanation they give you. If they sound knowledgeable then you should be alright, but if what they're telling you sounds outrageous then they're just blowing smoke in your eyes._

"Ahahahahaha!" Usopp laughed out loud, "I have everything I need. Wait a minute… I think I'm forgetting something important… THAT'S IT! A First Class Sniper like myself should really have a top-shelf pair of goggles to look through. I'm gonna get the best pair I can find, I don't care what they cost… unless it's more than I can afford… SUPER GOGGLES HERE I COME!"

With that, Usopp found a Junk Shop and ran inside after leaving his other purchases near the door.

"Whhooooaa!" Usopp exclaimed as he tried out a cool pair of goggles. The two shaded eye pieces could lower and raise individually and when he clicked the latch on them, they popped opened to reveal the clear lenses underneath. Usopp lowered the shaded lenses and pulled out his slingshot, then stretched it backwards to try out the goggles. Despite being found in a Junk Shop, they were really amazing. "These are them! These are the ones! They're perfect!" But then Usopp remembered another thing that Ricky had taught him.

_Don't sound over-eager to buy something. There's plenty of other stores where you could probably get the same thing. If you act too enthusiastic, the salesperson might see that as an opportunity to overcharge you._

"Eh-hem," Usopp cleared his throat and calmed down, then turned to the saleswoman standing behind the register. "Hey lady, what can you tell me about these?"

"Those are brand new," the saleslady answered, "they're a top-of-the-line model from the North Blue Company. Oh, and the ship I get them from only stops here in port once a year."

"How much?" Usopp inquired as he calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out his remaining money.

"50,000 berries," the saleslady informed him.

Usopp thought about it for a moment, _"Hmm… I sounds like she runs the store and knows what she's talking about. From the sound of it, these goggles are pretty hard to come by. She didn't seem to be over-eager so I guess I can trust her. And the goggles work like a charm. I guess fifty thousand berries make sense."_

Usopp looked down and sifted through the money in his hand, when he counted it, he sweat-dropped. He only had 20,000 berries left over.

"Uh…" said Usopp, he needed thirty thousand berries if he was going to get those goggles, and was certain Ricky would have that on him. "I don't have enough money on me right now… but if you hold onto the goggles for me, I can get more!"

"I'm sorry," the lady apologized, "but I run my shop on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you can get the money then I'll sell them to you. But if someone that _does_ have money comes to buy them, I won't refuse them service."

"Alright, alright," Usopp agreed as he took the goggles off and put them on the counter, "I'll be right back!"

Usopp turned and ran for the door, along the way he passed a blonde haired girl going in the other direction. She was a child, no older than ten with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a pair of round green earrings and fancy black shoes, a fancy-looking light green formal dress with a darker green bow tied around the back of the dress, and another in her hair.

Usopp reached down to grab his bags just as the girl reached the counter and said, "I'll take those!"

**FWUMP!** Usopp fell to the ground in shock.

"Oh, excellent choice," the saleslady replied, "and what a cute little girl. I happen to know that these are the only goggles of their kind on the whole island."

"NO! THOSE ARE MY GOGGLES!" Usopp shouted as he shot back up to his feet, he forgot all about being restrained and not sounding desperate, "DROP 'EM!"

The girl smile and shuffled over to Usopp and smile up at him, "You snooze you lose Grandpa!" the girl taunted. Usopp was caught off guard that the girl would think that _he_ was a _grandpa_ and stood in shock while the girl shuffled passed him and left the store. HE WAS ONLY SEVENTEEN DAMN IT!

"Grandpa?" Usopp repeated as he grabbed his bags and ran out of the store after the girl. "LITTLE GIRL! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Usopp drew on his experience of running away and used it to run _after_ someone instead. In no time, he'd caught up with the girl and ran around in front of her, blocking her path.

"There is no way you could possibly think I'm an old man!" Usopp exclaimed, temporarily forgetting about the 'cool' goggles he's just lost out on. "I'm more like an older brother, right?"

"Well… you smell like an old man," pointed out the still cheerful little girl.

"I AM _NOT_ OLD!" Usopp yelled as he did an irritated jig. "GIMME BACK THOSE GOGGLES! I FOUND 'EM FIRST! THEY'RE MINE!"

"OH YEAH!" the girl snapped, "WELL YOU'D BETTER WATCH YOUR MOUTH… CAUSE I'M FRIENDS WITH THE MARINES! AND I'LL GET THEM TO BEAT YOU UP!"

"The marines?" questioned Usopp. He _was_ a pirate after all.

"That's right," the girl replied as she smiled up at Usopp, "and their Captain and Lieutenant are close personal friends of my family."

"Why you little…" Usopp growled. "LIKE I'M SCARED OF THE MARINES! I TOOK ON AND DEFEATED THE FISHMEN OF ARLONG PARK! CAUSE I'M CAPTAIN USOPP THE INCREDIBLE! THEY WERE GLAD TO QUICKLY MEET THEIR END! NOW I HAVE A BOUNTY OF THIRTY MILLION BERRIES ON MY HEAD!"

"Oh, thirty million berries, huh?" the girl inquired, her sweet smile turned evil.

"THAT'S RIGHT!"

"PAPA!" the little girl called out as she waved to someone behind Usopp, then ran around him to a man wearing a black and red cowboy hat and cloak. The girl smiled and held out the goggles, "I bought a present for you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!"

Daddy 'the Father' Masterson struggled not to cry as he smiled down at his daughter, "Oh my little girl, Carol, you are absolutely the most angelic little girl a father could ask for!"

"I love you so much papa!" the now named Carol Masterson cooed, Usopp stared in shock, as the girl turned and glared at him, "But papa! That silly old man over there was being mean and trying to jack your present!"

"Now, now, don't say jack," Daddy lightly scolded, "it's not right for a proper young girl." The bounty hunter's happy tone suddenly changed as he looked up and glared at Usopp, "Are you the gentleman that's been bothering my adorable little daughter."

"Uh… no… I was just…" Usopp stammered.

"There's something else!" called out Carol as she tugged on her father's cloak, Daddy knelt down so she could whisper in his ear, "He has a bounty of thirty million berries."

"Oh? A bounty worth thirty million, huh?" asked Daddy Masterson as he looked up and stared at Usopp, causing him to recoil in terror. The girl had called his bluff. "Let's take a look…" Daddy Masterson stood up and pulled out a pile of wanted posters, then began to look through them for Usopp.

"Oh, are those the new bad guys?" Carol inquired.

"Yeah, I just picked them up today," replied 'the Father'. "Six hundred… one point three mil… seven hundred… Ah! Thirty million… Monkey D. Luffy… for a first bounty that's impressive." Usopp attempted to back away before the cowboy guy could collect on his 'bounty', "Where are you going?"

Usopp stopped in his tracks and decided to finally tell the truth, "Okay! That's not me!" Usopp assured him, "I'm not the guy in the poster! I was just trying to pretend to be a bad guy! Bye-bye now! I'm out of here!" Usopp turned to run, but Daddy called after him…

"That's you," said Daddy Masterson as he pointed to the back of Usopp's head in the bottle left corner of Luffy's wanted poster.

Usopp decided, that since the truth didn't work, he'd try what he was best at LYING! "Okay, you caught me!" Usopp 'confessed' as he turned back around and approached the bounty hunter and his daughter. "Just try and lay your hands on me! Just see what happens! My Captain Luffy won't sit idly by and watch one of his crew in danger! HE'S A COLD-BLOODED SOULLESS DEMON FROM THE PITS OF HELL ITSELF! You can't even imagine the pain that he can inflict! You've got your daughter to worry about! Why risk your life over it?"

Usopp stepped forward, his long nose nearly poked Daddy in the face, "You're right," Daddy agreed, "it's not worth it. Anyone with 30,000,000 berries on his head is no ordinary man. That's for sure."

"Papa! You can beat him!" Carol encouraged her daddy, "You're the strongest man ever! And you're not afraid of anyone!"

"Darling, I don't have to prove anything," Daddy told her, "I just need to get by with enough to keep us happy. As long as you think I'm the greatest that's all that matters to me, understand?"

"Papa…"

"_I scared him off just like that?"_ Usopp said to himself, _"I guess I don't know how truly terrifying I am. Time to flex!"_

"I'm glad you came to your senses, fool!" Usopp taunted, "Now gimme my goggles and just maybe I'll let you escape with your life!"

"Huh?" asked Carol as she glared at Usopp.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna pay for them," Usopp assured them, "I'm a killer not a thief! Now give 'em here!"

"He's letting you go old man!" Carol snapped, "If were you, I'd be running for my life!" Daddy put his hand in front of his daughter to cut her off, "Papa?'

"Okay fine," Daddy conceded, "If that's the way you want it then let's settle this dispute like gentlemen."

"Gentlemen?" Usopp repeated. HE WAS CALLING HIS BLUFF! OH CRAP!

**Wiff! **"Here," said Daddy as he threw Usopp a pistol.

**Whap! **"A duel?" questioned Usopp as he caught the pistol and held it up, "Yeah, I think I could manage that."

"If you win, then the goggles are yours," Daddy Masterson offered, **SHWIFF!** He threw his cloak opened to reveal his white button-down shirt and the long sleeved black shirt he had on under it. But more importantly… he exposed the countless pistols that he had in his boots, and in holsters in the belt going diagonally across his chest, at his thighs, and all along the inside of the cloak!

"AHH!" Usopp shrieked as he took a few seconds to count the guns, "One… two… three… four… six… THIRTY PISTOLS! AAAAAHHHHHHHH! That's the same number of guns as… DADDY THE FATHER!"

"Yeah, that's me," Daddy 'the Father' Masterson replied. Usopp suddenly found himself in a duel with a bounty hunter famous throughout the East Blue!

**-x-**

**Showdown at High Noon:**

**-x-**

Lieutenant Devo was walking through Loguetown addressing concerned citizens as he went, "Yes, we know that Monkey D. Luffy and his crew are here," he told a seemingly scared man, "but rest assured we have the matter under control. We have a trap set and we're just waiting for them to spring it. We won't let those pirates escape this town."

Just then someone came running down the street, **"There's gonna be a duel between Daddy 'the Father' and some pirate!"**

"A duel?" Devo repeated. "It's been a while since I've seen Daddy Masterson in action. This might be interesting." Lieutenant Devo quickly followed the crowd, idly wondering who the idiot was that challenged Daddy the Father to a duel.

**-x-**

Ricky exited a shop wearing a new pair of cargo pants, a tight red tank top, an opened black short-sleeved button down shirt over it, and his steel-soled boots. He was wearing his big sunglasses to hide his eye patch and his sword was still at his waist. Ricky observed that there was some kind of commotion going on and grabbed a random man as he ran passed.

"What's going on?" asked Ricky.

"Some stupid long-nosed guy is gonna duel with Daddy the Father!" the man answered.

"_Long Nose…USOPP!"_ Ricky realized, he let go of the man and quickly ran off to where the commotion looked like it was coming from.

**-x-**

Nami walked through town and was now regretting not taking Ricky up on his offer to carry her stuff back to the ship. She was currently carrying a big sack of clothes over her shoulder and seven large shopping bags on her arms. But then she noticed people running up and down the streets buzzing about something.

"It's Daddy the Father!" someone exclaimed.

"There's gonna be a duel!" said someone else.

"Who could be that stupid?" wondered a man as he ran passed Nami.

"Daddy… the Father?" repeated Nami, she quickly followed after the crowd, "everybody knows that Daddy the Father is the greatest gun-slinging bounty hunter in the East Blue, not to mention he's never lost a duel before." Nami reached the site of the duel and put down her purchases, then pushed through the crowd of people so she could see, "So what kind of idiot…" Nami finally noticed Usopp standing back-to-back with Daddy the Father, there was sweat running down his face and he looked terrified, "Oh, _that_ kind of idiot."

"Haha! Good luck Long Nose!" someone from the crowd called out.

"We've got a hole dug for ya already!" called out someone else, "so relax! Eh-heh-heh!"

The spot they'd chosen for the duel was a road that overlooked Loguetown, on one side of the road was a railing, on the other… was a cemetery filled with tombstones.

"_What the hell just happened?"_ Usopp thought frantically, _"Why am I dueling this guy?"_

"**Hold it!"** came a voice. The crowd turned and saw Lieutenant Devo approaching.

"_YES! A MARINE! I'M SAVED!"_ Usopp practically shouted in his mind.

"I figured you could use a third party to officiate," Devo offered.

"_CRAP! A MARINE! I'M DOOMED!"_

Devo walked over and stood between the crowd of spectators and the two duelists. "This is an official duel so standard rules apply," Lt. Devo announced, "Walk ten paces then fire."

"Okay…" Usopp reluctantly agreed while Daddy simply nodded.

"USOPP, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Nami demanded. "IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE FACING DADDY THE FATHER IN A DUEL! ARE YOU NUTS?"

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Usopp snapped. "YOU NEVER HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY!"

"You get one shot," Lt. Devo called out, "Duelists take your paces. One… two… three… four… five…"

Each time the Marine Lieutenant called out a number Usopp took another timid step away from his opponent. _"What am I doing? This sucks! I'm so stupid there's no way I could beat him!"_

"Six…" _"I'm gonna die! This can't be happening!"_

"Seven…" _"I can't believe it! My adventure is just beginning and I'm already gonna die! Who'd of thought it'd come to this?" _**GULP!**

"Eight…"

"**Hold it right there!" **a voice suddenly called out, everyone's attention was drawn from the tense duel to a red-haired figure with an eye patch on the other side of the railing beside Carol Masterson. **SKISH! TMP!** A split second later, the figure jumped and drew a curved red blade and pointed it at the throat of Daddy Masterson

"You… you're One Eye Ricky!" Lieutenant Devo realized, Ricky was no longer wearing his sunglasses so his eye patch was in plain view. "Just like a pirate to interfere in a duel of honor." **Click-Klak!** A less than a second later Lt. Devo was pointing a pair of pistols at Ricky, who kept his red sword pointed at Daddy Masterson's neck.

**WHAP! **"Not so fast!" Devo suddenly had an arm around his neck and felt something poking his back, he looked behind him and saw Nami holding a knife to his back.

Ricky glanced at the crowd, "Anyone who isn't involved in this duel or associated with one of the participants, leave now or your safety can't be assured," Ricky called out, still eerily calm. He had his sword at a feared bounty hunter's neck and had two pistols trained on him courtesy of a Marine Lieutenant while Nami had knife to the marine's back.

The civilians turned and ran, no one wanted to get in the middle of a fight between Daddy 'the Father' Masterson a legendary bounty hunter in the East Blue, Lieutenant Devo, a high ranked marine officer personally trained by Daddy Masterson, and 'One Eye' Ricky, a pirate worth 20,000,000 berries, the second highest in the East Blue. Soon only Ricky, Nami, Usopp, Carol, Devo, and Daddy remained.

"Now, perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement," Ricky offered since three of them had a weapon pointed at them.

"Marines don't negotiate with pirates!" Devo snapped.

"I have no interest in negotiating with _you_," Ricky replied, before he turned his attention back to the man he was holding his sword to he neck of, "I want to see that my Nakama stands a fighting chance in this thing."

"And why would I do that?" asked Daddy, who was composed despite having a sword at his neck but wasn't retaliating because he didn't want to risk dying and leaving his daughter alone to fend for herself.

"Because, I came over that railing over there," Ricky pointed out, Masterson glanced at it and noticed his worried daughter standing there. "I could've just as easily held your daughter hostage but decided against it. I also sent off the civilians so no innocents got hurt. I figure the least you could do in exchange for my consideration is listen to what I have to say."

"Fine," Daddy agreed, "Devo, put your guns down."

"Same with you Nami," Ricky instructed, "Usopp, come over here."

At the same time, Ricky, Devo, and Nami all put down their respective weapons but none of them put them away.

Ricky stepped away from Daddy and stood next to Usopp while Nami went and stood behind her Nakama. Lt. Devo stood next to Daddy Masterson while Carol moved to stand behind her daddy and 'uncle'.

"Here's the deal," said Ricky, "this guy is my crew's sniper. But he's only fired a pistol once before and that was a desperate situation."

"What kind of sniper doesn't use a gun?" Devo scoffed.

"One that uses a slingshot," Ricky answered. "So I suggest changing things around a little."

"There's no honor in beating someone that's never been in a duel before," Daddy reasoned. "Fine, what did you have in mind?"

Ricky turned to Usopp, "How'd this start?"

"That girl bought a pair of goggles I wanted," Usopp answered as he pointed to Carol.

Ricky glanced around him, "Pick something over there," said Ricky as he pointed at the city of Loguetown off in a distance. "My Nakama will hit it with his slingshot."

"And if he doesn't?" asked Daddy.

A sly grin appeared on Ricky's face, "If by some chance he _doesn't_ hit his target, you get me," Ricky offered.

"RICKY… NO!" Nami protested.

"Nami, be quiet," said Ricky, Nami quieted and glared at him but he ignored the glare and continued to stare at Daddy Masterson. "I'll come along peacefully and you'll get my full 20,000,000 berri bounty. That'll be enough to support you and your daughter for a long time."

"But," Ricky continued, "If he hits it. We get the goggles, your hat, and you let me and my Nakama go free."

"My hat?" Daddy repeated as he glanced up at his black cowboy hat with the red fabric around the base.

Ricky shrugged, "It fits my color scheme."

Daddy Masterson stared at Ricky and was briefly reminded of another red-haired pirate that had complete faith in the sniper on his crew.

"Sir, you're accepting a bet with a pirate," Devo pointed out.

"Then it's a good thing I'm no longer a marine," Daddy reasoned.

"Ricky… I'm not sure this is such a good idea…" Usopp said.

"I have faith in my Nakama," Ricky replied, "there's no way you'll miss, Usopp."

"Usopp?" Daddy repeated, "Did you just call him 'Usopp'?" Ricky nodded, and Daddy stared at Usopp as if trying to place him, "It can't be… You wouldn't be chance know a man named Yasopp?"

"Yasopp, that's my dad's name," Usopp answered, "Does that mean you knew my father?"

"So then you are his son," Daddy realized, Carol and Devo stared in surprise, "I met your dad and I've never spoken a single word to anyone about that fateful day." Ricky twitched as Daddy continued, "Until now that is… we met in a port on a day very much like today."

**-Daddy Masterson's 'Yasopp' Flashback-**

"**Come on Ensign Masterson, one shot each," **came the voice of Yasopp. He wore a black tank top and had his name tattooed on his forehead. He had a red sash around his waist and wore a pair of yellow plaid pants and black sandals. He stood away from Daddy Masterson holding out a pistol.

Daddy Masterson wore a half buttoned marine shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue pants, black boots and black fingerless gloves. He had a belt of pistols going diagonally across his chest and one in his hand. They were at a dock, it was sunset and the Red Force, the pirate ship of the Red Haired Pirates was docked nearby.

"**One… two… three…" **called out a member of the Red-Haired Pirates as they sat to the side and watched the duel. Shanks sat silently on a crate with Benn Beckman and Lucky Roux standing behind him.

**BANG! BANG!** Masterson and Yasopp fired and smoke came out of the nozzles of their respective pistols. Everything was quiet.

"Ungh…" Yasopp groaned and held his shoulder while Daddy fell on his back and dropped his gun,** THUD!** He'd lost.

"HE WON!" one of the Red-Haired Pirates exclaimed as they ran over to congratulate their crewmate.

'Red Haired' Shanks remained seated on his crate and just smiled as if he already knew what the result of the duel was going to be.

"He beat the best sniper the marines had!"

"Boy, that was a close one!"

"You're the man Yasopp!"

"Yeah," said Yasopp as he continued to hold his shoulder while the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates gathered behind him.

"Alright, finish him!"

"Killing the loser lets him die with dignity and respect, it's the right thing to do Yasopp."

Yasopp stood silently with his pistol pointed at the fallen Marine, "Please, finish me off," Daddy pleaded, he'd lost his first duel and his reputation had been tarnished. "There's no reason for me to live any more."

"Yeah, you lost after all," Yasopp commented but then his sharp eyes noticed something. He approached the fallen Ensign and lifted the locket around his neck, he opened it to reveal a blonde haired blue eyed girl, "Your daughter?'

"Give it!" Daddy called out desperately as he weakly reached out for the locket.

"I wouldn't expect a cold-hearted marine like yourself to be treasuring this," said Yasopp. "Guess she must be really special."

"And what would a dirty pirate know about it?" Masterson asked.

"Ahahahaha, not much," Yasopp laughed as he dropped the locket and stood up, then he turned and started to walk away.

"You were awesome Yasopp," one of the Red-Haired Pirates called out, Yasopp sat on a crate and sat still while one of the other pirates bandaged his arm.

"No I wasn't, I wounded him instead of killing 'im," Yasopp replied, "I still need more practice."

"Maybe, but the rest of us would've been killed," a pirate pointed out, "You took on Daddy Masterson and lived."

Once Yasopp's wound was tended to Shanks silently tossed his Nakama a bottle of rum. **Whap!** "Thanks boss," said Yasopp as he caught the bottle and opened it, "Really, I'm glad you let me duel him instead of just killing him on sight."

Shanks nodded then got up and headed back to the ship, Beckman and Roux followed behind him, eventually the rest of the crew followed leaving Yasopp and Masterson alone on the dock.

**Gulp… gulp…** "Ah, hits the spot," Yasopp commented, "You want some marine?" Masterson just groaned.

"Family huh?" Yasopp eventually said, "I could never wrap my mind around that job. You know, I've got a son, his name is Usopp. Haven't seen 'im in years though. I left 'im for the sea, just when he started walking."

"Why?" Daddy asked, "Did you love him?"

"Ahaha," Yasopp chuckled, "It wasn't that. I loved 'im plenty. It's just that I love something else more. The sea was calling for me. When the pirate flag beckons, you must heed its call." Yasopp finished his rum and stood up. "Anyway, it may be too late for me to do anything for my son and I truly regret that. But you… your daughter… she deserves to have a parent with her by her side. Don't ever let 'er go while you have the chance. Not that I'm one to talk, ahahahaha!"

Yasopp started walking off, Masterson closed his hand around the locket with Carol in it and struggled to sit up, "I lost our duel, Yasopp!" Daddy called after him. "You can't leave me here like this! You owe that much to me!"

"You marines may have to follow the rules and do everything by the book," said Yasopp as he kept walking, "but the best part about being a pirate is that I can do _whatever _I want_ whenever_ I want. Later!" With that Yasopp was gone, and the Red Haired Pirates sailed off leaving Daddy Masterson alone on the dock with his guns and the locket of his daughter.

**-End of Masterson's 'Yasopp' Flashback-**

"So that's why you left the marines to become a bounty hunter…" Lieutenant Devo realized. "It makes sense now."

"Papa no!" Carol cried out, "A pirate didn't spare your life! Tell me you killed 'im, right?"

"Usopp, your father was amazing!" Nami exclaimed, "he beat Daddy the Father!"

"And he hasn't forgotten you either," Ricky added, "even now when he's sailing the Grand Line."

Everyone glanced at Usopp and noticed that his shoulders were shaking as he fought to hold back tears. "Usopp, it's okay… we understand," Nami attempted to comfort him.

"There's… no way that you could," Usopp sobbed. "That's not why I'm crying, there's more to it. I understand why you told me that story about my father. You told me that so I would try to be more like him. You embarrassed yourself for me, you put yourself beneath me so I would know what type of man my father was. I'll never forget that! Most people would just bury that story and never tell it to anyone. But you! You're not afraid of anything! Even shame! A coward would never do what you just did!"

Usopp turned and glanced at Carol, "Carol, your dad is the bravest man alive. Men who are big and strong are easy to find but the ones who put their honor on the line for others are one in a million." Usopp took a deep breath and looked Daddy Masterson in the eye, "LET'S DO THIS! I have to prove to myself that I am not a coward! Pick the hardest target you can find! I'll hit it! And if I don't, you can kill me, or capture me along with my crewmate!" Usopp opened his utility pouch and pulled out his green slingshot.

Daddy turned and stared over the railing at the roofs of Loguetown, "Let's see… there… you must hit that weather vane!" Daddy pointed at a weather vane that was shaped like a whale with a crown on its head. The vane was on top of a church almost a hundred yards away.

"What? That?" questioned Usopp as he stared at the whale-shaped weather vane.

**Click! **Daddy drew a pistol and pointed it at Usopp, "If you miss…" he said leaving the threat hanging.

"You'll shoot me through the heart," Usopp finished for him, he turned away from the gun pointed at him and stared at his target, "So this shot determines whether I live or die with honor."

"Ehahaha," Lt. Devo chuckled, "There's no way you can make that shot with a slingshot. But if by some freak chance you _do_ make it, I'll be able to let the three of you go, knowing that you just did the impossible."

"How far is it?" Ricky whispered to Nami, "I barely have depth perception here."

"Around three hundred feet," Nami quietly answered.

"He can't… there's no way he can shoot that far with a slingshot…" said Carol.

Usopp raised his slingshot and attempted to aim for the shot that would seal his fate. The wind was blowing slightly and the weather vane wiggled back and forth, church bells were ringing off in a distance.

Ricky calmly cut his arm with his sword and put it away then he put his hands in the pockets of his new cargo pants. Despite the tense situation he was completely calm and had complete faith in his Nakama.

"_Relax…" _Usopp thought to himself as he used his long nose as a crosshair to aim his slingshot at the weather vane, _"Concentrate… It's just another shot…like a hundred before…"_ "EYYAAHHH!" **CHOOO!** Usopp fired and his life flashed before his eyes, his adventures with the Veggie Pirates, telling stories to Kaya, his sick mother Banchina, and his father, Yasopp, the Brave Warrior of the Sea.

The small ball whizzed through the air and reached the target but there was no sign of it hitting it and no marks on the whale showing that Usopp's shot had connected.

"You… missed…" a shocked Nami stated.

"PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM PAPA!" Carol cried, "PLEASE NO!"

Ricky had a sly grin on his face as he took in Daddy and Devo's shocked expressions. "I can't shoot him," said Daddy. "CAUSE HE SHOT RIGHT THROUGH THE CROWN!"

Nami pulled out a telescope from who-knows-where and stared through it, there was a round hole in the middle of one of the marks on the whale's green crown. "HE'S RIGHT! YOU DID IT USOPP!" Nami exclaimed.

"Im-impossible…" Devo stammered.

"Good job!" Carol congratulated Usopp.

"I knew you could do it," said Ricky as he patted Usopp on the back while the sniper dropped down to his knees.

"Your as good a shot as your old man," Daddy commented. "And brave on as well. Your father will be proud. Go to the Grand Line, you'll find him there. He deserves to see what his son has become."

"You're a pretty good shot old man," Carol told Usopp as she ran over and handed him the goggles he'd won.

Ricky grinned and turned to face Daddy and cleared his throat, "Eh-hem."

Daddy grumbled to himself as he took off his cowboy hat, revealing his black head of hat-hair and handed the hat to the pirate. Ricky smiled as he put the hat on. The black and red hat went with his black and red outfit.

"LATER!" Carol called out as she and her daddy turned and walked off. "WAIT PAPA!"

"Now Carol, don't say 'later', it's bad manners," Daddy lightly scolded his daughter.

Lieutenant Devo stared at the three pirates and frowned, "Since I'm still shocked at the fact that you made that shot, I'll let you go," the marine decided, "but if I see you three again, you'll all be under arrest."

"Good luck with that," Ricky replied as he pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. With the cowboy hat hiding most of his red hair, and the sunglasses hiding his eye patch, he was mostly unrecognizable. "But keep in mind that if we _do_ run into you again, we'll be prepared to _resist_ arrest."

"You won't be leaving this town if I have anything to say about it," Devo told them. "And Sergeant Major Tashigi will be pleased to add your legendary sword to her collection."

Ricky grinned as the Lieutenant turned and walked away, following after Daddy and Carol. _"Finally I have a name to taunt Zoro with," _Ricky thought to himself, before he turned to Nami and Usopp.

"When we hear people say that Daddy the Father is a disgraced marine at least we'll know the real story," said Nami.

"My father will see me as a true warrior someday!" Usopp vowed, "you'll see! I'll be as brave as Daddy the Father. And I will make my father proud!"

**-x-**

Somewhere else in Loguetown, Sanji was walking through the shopping district with his hands in his pockets when someone called out.

"**Sanji! I finally found you after ten years!"**

**-x-**

Usopp won a duel and a new pair of goggles, and Ricky walked away with a hat that fits his color scheme. Next chapter Sanji finds himself in a furious cooking battle with Five Alarm Carmen.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	49. Chapter 48

**Another Nakama:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**A/N:** This chapter is going to be a little long. It focuses on Sanji and it will be my way of making up for skipping over what was basically the second half of the Baratie Arc. It will cover his past, his dream, and I'll even work in his history with Zeff.

**Five-Alarm Carmen:**

**-x-**

"So, what's with the goggles?" Ricky asked as he, Usopp, and Nami headed back into Loguetown following Usopp's duel with Daddy 'the Father' Masterson. Usopp and Ricky were both wearing the spoils from the bet Ricky had placed on the shooting challenge. Ricky was wearing Daddy the Father's black cowboy hat with the red fabric around the base while Usopp was wearing the goggles that had started the whole mess on top of his green bandana. Nami was still stuck carrying her numerous shopping bags.

"I saw them in a shop, they seemed like a good deal," Usopp explained as he tugged the shaded lenses of the goggles down in front of his eyes. "The price sounded fair enough and the lady said these were the only ones she had and that she wouldn't be getting any new ones for a month. But then that girl came in and took them before I could pay." Usopp clicked the hinge and the shaded lenses flipped upwards leaving just him with the clear lenses from underneath. "I can shoot anything now, even when I'm looking into the sun."

"Since you're our crew's sniper, I guess that's a good thing," Nami commented.

"Although, I wish I hadn't had to reveal myself to a marine officer," Ricky admitted, "So far I've been pretty discrete."

"Well, wearing the signature hat of a bounty hunter that's renowned throughout the East Blue isn't exactly discrete," Nami pointed out.

"No," Ricky agreed, "But if I have his hat they'll know not to mess with me. I'd rather not be attacked by every loser on the street who wants to try for my bounty."

"So… what are we gonna do now?" Usopp wondered.

"I don't know," Ricky admitted. "I just plan on wondering around town until we meet up with the others. I met up with Luffy and Zoro before but I haven't seen Sanji."

"I've got all my stuff in my backpack," said Usopp as he motioned to the green backpack he was wearing, "I saved a ton of money thanks to all that stuff you taught me."

"Glad I could help," Ricky replied.

"Speaking of helping," Nami commented as she held up her numerous shopping bags and the big sack of clothes, "would one of you guys mind carrying these?"

"I offered before and you declined," Ricky reminded her. "If you weren't so paranoid you wouldn't have to worry about it."

"You offered seconds after you declared war!" Nami exclaimed

"Are you trying to say that I purposely offered to carry your stuff seconds after I declared war knowing that you'd be suspicious and decline?"

"Yes! You jerk!" Nami snapped.

"So you admit that I tricked you into lugging those bags around all day?" Ricky inquired. Nami's eyes went wide. "Or maybe you knew what I was doing the whole time…"

"Of course I did," Nami quickly agreed to save face.

"Then in that case, you'll be fine carrying your own crap," Ricky concluded.

Nami scowled as he flashed that damned sly grin of his. She had to carry her bags or admit that he'd tricked her. As a result, her pride was the only thing keeping her carrying her own bags. _"Burst into flame..." _Nami growled as she glared at him.

"If she was glaring at _me_ the same way she's glaring at you, I'd be running for the hills," Usopp stated.

"And that's why you can't mess with Nami unless you're willing to deal with the consequences," Ricky told him. "You'd never want to end up in something where you're out of your league… right Nami?"

"Of course not," Nami agreed with a small smile. "It's important to know what you're getting into. I never get involved in something unless I know I'll come out on top."

Usopp flinched and was happy he wasn't involved in this 'swindling war' of theirs and prayed to every God he knew that the two of them never decided to work together.

**-x-**

"**Sanji, I've finally found you!"** a woman called out as the Straw Hat Cook walked calmly down a street. **Whoosh! Wooosh!** The woman waved a pair of fur-tipped fans while she did a quick dance. She had fiery pink hair that was done up to resemble flames, she wore a golden headband and had violet eye-shadow, purple lipstick, green earrings, a necklace with a diamond-shaped emerald, and was holding a ladle in her mouth. She wore a red gown that was lined with white fur and was tied around the waist with a green and pink rose-shaped sash, it was low cut and showed a great deal of her ample cleavage. The outfit was finished off with a pair of pink high heels that were laced up passed her ankles. "I've been searching for you, for ten years!"

Sanji, and everyone else on the street stared in surprise as the eccentric, but very beautiful woman struck a pose with one arm on her waist and the other above her head.

"**Behold the amazing Carmen!" **a voice called out from behind the woman.

"**The greatest cook in the East Blue!" **another cried out.

"I am passion!" the woman announced, "some have called me Five-Alarm Carmen!"

"OLE!" The two men stepped out from behind Carmen and waved red rags while Carmen did another quick dance.

"I am the first apprentice of Carmen, my name is Leo!" the first man introduced himself. He had a small body, but a big bean-shaped head covered with short blond hair. He wore a blue suit that was lined in gold and a purple tie and he also wore a blue hat on his head. He was waving a red rag in one hand and was gripping the handle of a long paddle that was on his back.

"And I am her second, Jose!" the other man added. He was larger and rounder than Leo and wore a similar outfit, but in green and with a light blue tie. He also wore a green hat over his head that covered his short, dark brown hair. He had big lips like Usopp and wore sunglass… no… they weren't sunglasses, when a pair of beady little eyes opened up above it them they were revealed to be just really, really big nostrils. Both of the apprentices were considerably shorter than Carmen.

The people in the street stared at surprise at Carmen and her two apprentices, but they were even more surprised when Sanji dropped down on one knee and began to swoon.

"You are beauty itself!" Sanji exclaimed, nearly causing the spectators to face-fault. "It is my deepest dream-come-true, yes! Beauty has come searching for me!" Sanji stood up and walked over to Carmen then took her hand in both of his and dropped down on one knee again. "It is truly an honor! My beautiful Miss. Carmen!" Sanji leaned in to kiss the woman's hand, causing the two apprentices to flinch.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Carmen yelled as she produced a frying pan from who-knows-where and bashed Sanji in the face with it, **WONK!**

But rather than be discouraged, Sanji's eyes were still both in the shape of hearts. "You are so passionate!" Sanji swooned. "But tell me Carmen, how is it that you and I know each other?"

"OOOH BOOOYS!" Carmen called out as she danced backwards and struck a pose, "Tell the story!"

"Yes ma'am!" they both quickly agreed.

Leo used his long paddle to hold out a book to Sanji, "Please look," he instructed. Sanji looked confused as he opened the book to reveal several pictures of different men wearing chef hats.

"These are pictures of cooks," Sanji realized.

"True!" Jose crowed, "these are pictures of the most famous cooks in the East Blue!"

"And the great Carmen defeated every one of them in competition!" Leo continued as he and Jose both struck poses.

"Yes," said the extremely vain Carmen as she fanned herself, "I truly am the most amazing cook in the East Blue! The cooks who have challenged me have all been… disappointing simpletons, and I was beginning to think that there was no one left to challenge my skills. But then… I came across an article on the Baratie Ocean Going Restaurant from when you still worked there. A cook from the Baratie said that his prior Assistant Head Chef was the best cook in the East Blue. He said that in all his years in the restaurant business he ha never met your equal. From that moment until now I have spent every minute of the last ten years searching the entire East Blue… for you."

"Actually, it has been ten days," Jose confessed.

"Carmen has a little bit of trouble with the truth," Leo admitted. Great, so she was a stalker _and_ a liar.

**WONK! WONK!** "SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!" Carmen shouted as she hit both of her apprentices with her frying pan. Scratch that, she was a stalker, a liar, _and _a violent psycho.

"Now I challenge you Sanji!" Carmen announced, "If you dare, bring your spices to the market-place cooking competition at one this afternoon! You will be minced! Like garlic before being added to heated oil in a hot pan! WAAHAHAHAHA!" Carmen let out a loud cackling laugh and lifted up one of her long legs as she spun rapidly around on the other. She became a spinning red tornado and flew up into the air, causing Sanji and all the spectators to stare in surprise. **Shwoo-shwoo-shwoo-shwoo! POOF!**

Carmen suddenly vanished… only to reappear extremely dizzy on the ground. Leo and Jose quickly caught her before she could fall then ran off.

"We'll see you at the competition!" Leo yelled out as a parting shot.

"Ah," Sanji sighed, despite all the odd behavior he was still enraptured, "finally a woman with a passion like mine!"

"So kid, you gonna compete in the market-place competition?" asked a short old man that had been watching the exchange.

"Huh? Nah!" Sanji replied as he turned and walked off, "I don't like contests."

**-x-**

"Captain Smoker, I have news!" Lieutenant Devo reported once he arrived back at the Marine Base. Marine Captain Smoker was still sitting at his desk, convinced that he didn't have to chase Luffy and that the pirate would just come to him. "I ran into some of the other Straw Hats!"

Smoker didn't appear overly interested but asked anyway, "And what happened?"

"They got away," Devo confessed. "I came across one of them dueling with Daddy Masterson, then a girl and 'One Eye' Ricky, Monkey D. Luffy's First Mate, showed up. One Eye convinced Daddy to make a bet concerning his other crewmate. The crewmate made an impossible shot with a slingshot and I was forced to let them go or tarnish the reputation of the Loguetown Marines."

"Don't worry about it," said Smoker, "they won't leave town without their Captain. We'll catch him and then we'll get the rest."

"But that's just the thing!" Devo replied, "One Eye… he's dangerous. He may have the smaller bounty but he seems more dangerous than Straw Hat."

"Oh?" questioned Smoker.

"He's smart," Lt. Devo explained. "You heard about what happened earlier, he and Roronoa Zoro were in this very Marine Base but managed to get away. He managed to convince Daddy the Father to accept a bet he saw as a sure thing. He's can't be taken lightly, the fact that he's wearing Daddy the Father's signature hat proves it."

"Hmm…" Smoker commented, "sounds like he could be a problem but I don't think we'll have to worry. We've never let a pirate escape this town before and we won't start with these two. We'll deal with One Eye and the others once we've got Straw Hat in a cell. Remember, we don't have to find him, he'll find us."

"Yes sir," Devo reluctantly agreed as he left the office. He wished he had Captain Smoker's confidence. Who knows what Straw Hat and One Eye could be up to now?

**-x-**

At a restaurant in the middle of Loguetown, no one seemed to notice the massive purple-maned lion that was sitting outside. Inside the restaurant a clearly aggravated cloak-wearing Buggy the Clown was sitting at a table eating with Mohji, who was also still wearing a cloak.

"Darn that rubber boy," Buggy grumbled with his mouth full of food. "I can't believe we can't find him anywhere on this entire island!"

"Hey Captain, I've been meaning to ask," said Mohji, while Buggy to a drink of rum. "Why are we wearing cloaks?"

**Tonk!** Buggy slammed his rum bottle down, "We are we wearing cloaks?" he repeated, "Why are you so stupid! There is a Marine Captain in this town named Smoker. If he finds us before we find Straw Hat then I'll never get my revenge! Grrr… this sucks!" **WHAM!** Buggy drove his fist down into the table causing the sack of gold he had on top of it to jump.

"Go and find that Straw Hat before I totally lose it!" Buggy ordered.

"Pheeeww!" Luffy sighed, as he leaned back in his chair, his belly was swelled up after having eaten a lot. "I'm stuffed! Loguetown might be our last chance to get a good meal for a while. I was starving!" Luffy was sitting at a table in the same restaurant across from Zoro who poured half a bottle of rum into a glass.

"I was starving too," Zoro commented.

"Well, it was a good thing I ran into you and Ricky," said Luffy, "I didn't have any money."

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Ricky's loan I'd probably still be broke," Zoro admitted.

**WHAM! WHAM!** "RAAH!" Buggy yelled from the next table over as he continued to slam his fist down on the table, "I hate that damn Straw Hat and I want to crush him like a bug the next time I see his ugly face! DIE! DIE! DIE!" **WHAM! WHAM!B **The sack of gold continued to bounce on the table as Buggy repeatedly drove his fist down into the top of it.

Zoro rummaged through his pockets, "Where'd I put that money Ricky gave me?"

"DIE!" **WHAM! **"DIE!" **WHAM!** The sack of gold bounced onto the pronged end of Buggy's fork causing the other end to stick up in the air.

"If you can't find it, maybe we should just leave and not pay," Luffy suggested. That's what he always did.

"I SWEAR HE'LL PAY!"Buggy screamed. **WHAM! WHING!** Buggy slammed his hand onto the handle of the fork and launched the sack of gold up into the air over his head, it flew through the air before it came down and landed… on Luffy's hat. **Whap!**

"Huh?" questioned Luffy as he pulled the sack off of his head and pulled out a gold coin, "Oh! Whoa, that's cool!" Luffy turned around and smiled at the cloaked figure sitting behind him, "Hey, you didn't have to buy us our lunch but thanks!"

Luffy paid for the meal with the money in the sack then stood up and returned it to Buggy, who was glaring at his empty plate. "You're the best!" Luffy thanked the generous guy who had paid for his meal but was _also_ looking to kill him.

"Yeah, thanks a lot buddy," Zoro added as he thanked Buggy too.

"Yeah, whatever, you're welcome," said Buggy without looking up, Luffy and Zoro walked away.

"Come again!" the owner of the restaurant called out.

"We will!" Luffy replied as he and Zoro walked out.

"Wait… I know that voice!" Buggy realized.

"Oh yeah," Mohji agreed, he was still eating, "I think that was the Straw Hat guy."

"Take one more bite and die," Buggy growled at his first mate, causing him to instantly stop eating. "DON'T JUST SIT THERE! GO AFTER HIM YOU FLASHY IDIOT!"

"Yes sir!" Mohji quickly agreed as he ran out of the restaurant and searched the street, Richie the lion was attempting to hide behind a tree after hearing Captain Buggy's angry shouts. "Which way did he go?" Mohji ran off in the wrong direction, Luffy had once again escaped from Buggy and his crew.

**-x-**

**The All Blue:**

**-x-**

Sanji had reached the harbor and stood overlooking the market-place. "A market," Sanji observed, he went in to investigate and found all kinds of different colored fish in crates and hanging from hooks.

"Loguetown's market is incredible!" Sanji exclaimed as he surveyed the wide variety of fish that were present. "They have everything a cook could possibly want!"

Sanji walked up to a crate and stared down at the fish inside, "These are superb!" Sanji commented.

"You sure know how to pick 'em," said a large muscular man wearing a yellow t-shirt, gray pants, and a black apron around his waist. His gray hair was tied back in a fin-shaped ponytail. His name was Sapi, he was a fisherman and a fish salesman. "You're looking at some Coastal Fish we just caught early this morning!"

"Coastal Fish?" Sanji repeated as he reached into the crate and pulled out one of the fish inside. It was about as big as his forearm and twice as thick. It was teal with purple speckles and smelled incredibly fresh. "They certainly are firm and fresh, are you sure they were caught in the East Blue? I've never seen them before, what kind of fish did you say they were?"

"Ah, you definitely know your way around seafood," Sapi stated as he stood up and walked over to Sanji. "These fish are different, they're from the _West_ Blue, people from the East Blue don't usually know this type."

"The West Blue?" Sanji inquired, "Then why do you call them Coastal Fish?"

"Is this your first time here, kid?" asked Sapi with a big smile, "Just look at this…" Sapi reached into the crate and pulled out one of the Coastal Fish, "You won't find fish like these in the East Blue, but we've got tons of 'em! You can pull them right out of the water all day long."

"So how does that happen?" Sanji wondered. How would fish native to the West Blue get to the East Blue?

"The crossing ocean currents bring them in from all the other seas out there," Sapi explained. "Loguetown is just in the right place."

Suddenly a commotion rang out from over by the dock, "Hey! Sounds like they caught something good! Let's go check it out!"

Sapi and Sanji pushed their way through the crowd to see what was going on, "So what is it?" asked Sapi as he glanced at the catch, and then shouted in surprise "YAAAAAHHH! HOLY HELL!"

Sanji managed to make it through the crowd and spotted the fish laid down on a bed of green leaves. It was a HUGE fish, the top half and fins were dark blue while the bottom half was a silvery-gray. It looked like a big tuna fish. If you disregarded the elephant ears, trunk, and tusks.

"Nice catch!" Sapi exclaimed, "It's a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna!"

"That's right," replied the large dark blond-haired fisherman who had caught it, he was wearing a pair of blue overalls and a white t-shirt under them. "It must've gotten mixed in from the South Blue. I got it with my pole and line!"

"Just the pole and line?" Sapi repeated in disbelief, the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna was about as big as the fisherman, who was actually quite large. Using just a fishing pole to catch something so big was quite the feat.

"_Blue-Finned Tuna…"_ Sanji said to himself, that brought back memories from when he was a kid working as a Chef in Training on the Cruise Obit.

**-Sanji's Blue-Finned Tuna Flashback-**

"Wahahaha!" ten-year-old Sanji laughed as he looked over a book opened to a picture of a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna. "Hey look at this fish, it's a weird one!"

"What're you doing with that cookbook Sanji, you studying different kinds of fish?" asked one of the two cooks on the Obit.

"That one's the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna," the other cook told him.

"You ever seen this fish?" questioned Sanji.

"Sometimes it's called 'the Gem of the Ocean'," Cook 2 recalled as he and Cook 1 washed dishes, "some people even say that it's a miracle food! But nah, I've never seen it."

"Of course not," Cook 1 replied, "that one's from the South Blue. You'd never see it in the East Blue… unless… you can find the _All _Blue."

"Hahahaha!" Cook 2 laughed, "The All Blue, now that would be impossible."

"Ha-hah, I know, I know," Cook 1 chuckled.

"Tell me about the All Blue!" Sanji requested, he was getting excited, if crazy fish like the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna lived in it, it must've been amazing.

"It's a legendary sea where all the fish in the world swim together," Cook 2 explained.

"Careful, or he'll every word you say," Cook 1 scolded.

"Where is the All Blue?" asked Sanji.

"Ah, I told you," Cook 1 sighed, "Now he thinks it's real."

"It's a joke Sanji," Cook 2 attempted to reassure him, "It's just a Cook's Legend. It doesn't really exist."

"Forget about it, just keep studying," Cook 1 suggested. But Sanji didn't forget about it. Finding the All Blue became his dream. Something so amazing couldn't _possibly_ be fake!

**-End Fish Flashback-**

"_The All Blue…" _Sanji came out of his shock of seeing the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, the fisherman was getting ready to move it. Sanji wouldn't allow that to happen, he _had_ to have that fish.

"HOLD ON A SECOND!" Sanji exclaimed, "How much for it? Sell the fish to me! I've got money! Please, let me buy that Tuna!"

"I'm sorry," the fisherman apologized, "but I can't sell this to you. This fish is gonna be the Grand Prize for the Cooking Contest."

"It's… a prize?" Sanji repeated.

"That's right," said Sapi, "The Annual Loguetown Cooking Competition happens today. Cooks from all over the East Blue will be here to compete, and this fish is gonna be the Grand Prize for the winner."

"It _is_ a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, after all," the fisherman reminded Sanji. "Any champion cook would be honored to have it as a prize."

"If you really want it, then you should enter the contest," Sapi suggested. "You are a cook, aren't ya? Registration is right over there. You should give it a try if you want the Tuna. If I were you, I'd hurry before it closes. See ya!"

"A cooking contest?" Sanji said to himself, well, he _was _a cook, "Yeah!" Sanji walked off to register but couldn't shake the feeling that he'd forgotten something.

"_I challenge you, Sanji!"_

"Oh well," said Sanji as he walked off to register, he'd remember eventually.

Seeing the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna had jogged Sanji's memory, and while he registered and sat around waiting for the contest to start, he couldn't help thinking about the past.

When Sanji was ten and was still working on the Obit had was disgusted at how Cook 1 and Cook 2 would eat scraps off of the customer's plates. Sanji just threw that stuff away, who wanted to eat the leftovers of someone else's dinner?

But one fateful day the Cruise Obit was attacked by Red Shoes Zeff and the Cooking Pirates, he'd just come back alive from a one-year voyage in the Grand Line. Sanji attempted to defend the Obit but got the crap kicked out of him with Red Shoes Zeff's renowned kicks… kicks that were known for shattering stone and denting steel. But Sanji refused to give up, he refused to die.

He shouted at Zeff, "I won't die you bastard! I haven't seen the All Blue yet!" The pirate captain seemed shocked by Sanji's goal.

Then the tidal wave came. The huge wave towered over both the Cruise Obit and Zeff's ship the Cooking George. Sanji was washed off the ship and fell in the water but he was shocked to see Zeff dive in after him. The wave hit the two ships and capsized both of them, since Zeff and Sanji were already in the water, they didn't drawn like the rest of the people on the two ships. Sanji saw Zeff swimming towards him before he passed out.

Sanji woke up and he was with Zeff on a small deserted island. It wasn't even an island, it was just a big rock. The erosion made it so the sides of the rock curved inwards and the top edges just hung over the water. If they got off the island, there'd be no way back up. Zeff gave Sanji a small bag of food while keeping the large bag for himself 'since he was bigger'. Zeff told Sanji to wait on the other side of the rock and tell him if he saw a ship. Sanji vowed to himself that he'd survive and when a ship came he wouldn't tell the old geezer. It was that bastard's fault they were in this situation anyway!

Sanji divided his food up to last twenty days, he'd survive this no problem. But the days turned into weeks and there was no sign of a ship. Sanji ran out of food and survived on nothing for a week. He regretted throwing away those scraps back on the Obit, in his current state, he would've gladly eaten them now. He was practically a flesh-covered skeleton. Sanji climbed to the top of the pile of rocks separating him from the geezer and was shocked to see that the old bastard still had a HUGE sack of food with him. Overcome by hunger, Sanji decided to take a chance and kill the old man for his food.

But Zeff heard Sanji coming, keeping the starving boy from getting the drop on him. Sanji told the old man that he was gonna take his off and slashed the big bag opened… but there was no food in it… IT WAS FILLED WITH TREASURE! Money, gold, and jewels meant nothing when you were starving. Sanji was shocked, he stormed around the old geezer and demanded to know where his food was… then he saw… one of Zeff's legendary legs was gone… Zeff gave Sanji ALL the food and survived by EATING HIS OWN FOOT! **(A/N: That is the most bad-ass thing I've **_**ever**_** heard **_**anywhere**_**!) **Sanji demanded to know why the stupid geezer had done that! He'd saved Sanji's life, he'd given him all the food, he'd eaten his claim to fame so Sanji could stay alive.

"Because… you and I share the same dream," Zeff had answered before flopping on his back. Like Sanji, Zeff dreamed of finding the All Blue. He had gone to the Grand Line and spent a year searching for it, but had been unsuccessful. Now his foot was gone and his pirate days were over.

After starving on the island all this time, Zeff's new goal was to open a restaurant in the middle of the ocean. _Anyone_ would be served. If someone hungry came along, Zeff would feed them. After learning that Zeff had given up so much for him, Sanji offered to help. It was then that Sanji FINALLY spotted a ship. Both he and Zeff were saved.

Zeff opened the Baratie in the middle of the East Blue, Sanji was made the Assistant Head Chef and Zeff personally taught him how to cook and kick. Zeff hired rough cooks and fed tough customers. Sanji knew what starving to death was like, he vowed to always serve people when they were hungry and never to waste food. Sanji had planned to stay on the Baratie helping the geezer since the old bastard had saved his life… but then Luffy had showed up and beat 'Pirate Admiral' Don Kreig to save the Baratie.

"He didn't sacrifice himself so you could give up your dream! He did it so you could live!" Luffy knew what he was talking about, he was still wearing his straw hat. Shanks had saved his life and lost his arm so he could go on living, not so that Luffy would always be in his debt. Sanji agreed to join Luffy's Straw Hat Pirate Crew as the ship's cook. He wanted to find the All Blue and when you compared that to people who dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates, finding the One Piece, and becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman, Sanji felt like he fit in fine.

Now, Sanji was sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette while he waited for the contest to start. That Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna from the South Blue that ended up here in the East Blue was proof that something like the All Blue HAD to exist. That fish was a testament that his dream could come true.

**-x-**

**Iron Sea Chef:**

**-x-**

Fireworks went off overhead drawing everyone towards the Loguetown Cooking Contest. "THE ANNUAL COOKING FESTIVITIES ARE ABOUT TO START!" Sapi called out to the gathered crowd. The friendly fisherman was acting as the announcer for the event and stood behind a small table with a microphone so he could call the action. An orange banner was hung over his head that labeled his position as announcer.

They were still by the harbor where a large platform had been erected to act as the stage for the cooking contest. A long red carpet divided the yellow stage in half into two identical kitchens to cook in. There were long L-shaped counters, ovens, countless appliances, and at the back of the stage was an area that housed all the fresh ingredients that the cooks could use. In between the ingredient areas was a further elevated stage with the grand prize, the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, resting on it.

"THE GREATEST COOKS FROM THE EAST BLUE ARE COMPETING HERE TODAY!"

"It's so crowded, I wonder what's going on," Nami wondered as she, Usopp, and Ricky pushed their way through the crowd.

"Judging from that big banner, I'd say it's a cooking contest," Ricky observed.

"THIS YEAR'S GRAND PRIZE IS A BLUE-FINNED ELEPHANT TUNA! IT'S THE GEM OF THE OCEAN, A MIRACLE FOOD! WHO IS GOING TO WIN THIS TRULY SPECTACULAR PRIZE?"

Sanji sat with his feet on a table smoking a cigarette under the competitor's tarp when a familiar laugh rang out, **"Ahh-hahahaha! That'll be me!"** Sanji's ear twitched as he turned to see Carmen sitting in a throne-like chair with her two apprentices Leo and Jose standing beside her. "I'm so glad you decided to show Sanji, but the title of the East Blue's Number One is going to be mine. This'll be fun… I've never had any _real _competition before."

"Oh, my Carmen!" Sanji swooned as he knelt in front of Carmen and held her hand while gazing up at her with hearts in his eyes. "It's so good to see you again!" Sanji leaned in to kiss the hand he was holding but Carmen took offense.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" **WONK!** Carmen drew her frying pan and bashed Sanji on the head with it.

"Yeah! That's the firey passion I crave!" Sanji sighed, he had a red welt on his face where the pan had hit him.

Just then Nami, Usopp, and Ricky managed to push their way through the crowd and spotted a familiar face. "Hey, look over there! Sanji's here!" Nami realized.

"Hey! You're right!" Usopp realized as he spotted Sanji being paddled away from Carmen by her two assistants. "HEY! OVER HERE! SANJI!"

"SANJI!" Nami called out along with Usopp, drawing the cook's attention.

Sanji practically skipped over to the orange-haired navigator, "Nami! You came to watch me compete!"

"Heck no!" Nami replied, "I was just walking by."

"So what made you wanna compete in a cooking contest Sanji?" asked Usopp.

"Usopp, when did you guys get here?" questioned Sanji, seemingly just noticing Usopp.

"I'M THE ONE WHO YELLED OUT YOUR NAME FIRST, JERK!" Usopp shouted.

"Where'd Ricky go?" Nami wondered, the First Mate had disappeared while they were calling Sanji over.

"WHOOOO'S READY TO START THE COOOOKIIIIING!" Sapi called out, "JUST FOR FUN WE PICKED ONE OF YOU OUT OF THE CROWD TO JOIN OUR PANEL OF JUDGES! SAY HELLO TO SAM…" Sam was a twitchy middle-aged man, with balding black hair, and mustache, he was dressed in a suit. Sam's face was flushed and he looked a little drunk. "…WHO WAS JUST ON HIS WAY HOME TO SLEEP OFF THE REST OF HIS DAUGHTER'S WEDDING RECEPTION! YOU READY, SAM?"

"YEAH!" Sam cheered, before someone tapped him on the shoulder. Sam whirled around and saw a red-haired teen wearing a sunglasses and a black cowboy hat standing behind him.

"Hey buddy, your house is on fire," the teen told him.

Sam's eyes went wide, "OH NO!"

"Gimme your nametag, I'll take over for you," the nice teen offered, Sam handed over his nametag and ran home hoping to save his possessions from the fire. Ricky flashed a sly grin as he pinned the 'Sam' nametag onto the front of his shirt and took the vacated seat at the judge's table.

The rules of the contest were simple the ten competitors would face off in five matches. The winner of Match 1 would face the winner of Match 2. The winner of Match 4 would face the winner of Match 5. The winner of the 4 vs. 5 Match would face the winner of Match 3 to go onto the Finals and face the winner of the 1 vs. 2 Match. The winner of the Finals would be crowned Number One Cook in the East Blue and would receive the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna as a prize.

To win a match the two competitors had to present their dishes to the table of five judges (one happened to be a disguised pirate worth 20,000,000 berries) and they would score the cooks based on their dishes and their 'cooking flare'. The cook with the higher score would win the match and go on to the next round. A cook simply had to win all their matches to be crowned East Blue Champion.

"FIRST UP, FROM THE EASTERN MOST PART OF THE EAST BLUE… SHOO THE LIZARD!" A creepy looking guy wearing a white chef's hat, a red cooking uniform, and a blue bowtie with brown hair that made him look like a lizard took his place on the right side of the stage for Match 1. "FACING HIM, REPRESENTING OUR VERY OWN LOGUETOWN… BROCCOLI!" A pale man wearing a loose blue cooking uniform stood on the left side of the stage. On top of his head was his namesake… a green stick of broccoli that looked like a bun on top of his head. "READY… LET'S GO!" **GONG!** Sapi slammed a ladle into a wok to signify the start of the first match.

"What's wrong Sanji, do you really wanna be known as the Best Cooking the East Blue?" asked Usopp.

"No, don't be stupid," Sanji replied, "I'm just after one thing and that's the fish."

"A fish?" Usopp repeated as Sanji gestured to the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna.

"Wow, that looks like a nice fish," Nami commented.

"It sure is," Sanji agreed, "but the confusing part is trying to figure out exactly how I can get that fish to talk." Usopp and Nami looked confused while the contest got underway.

Ricky and the panel of judges awarded Match 1 to Broccoli while Sanji won Match 2. Five-Alarm Carman won Match 4. Sanji out-cooked Broccoli in the 1 vs. 2 Match while Carman won the 4 vs. 5 Match.

Ricky sat at the judges table sampling the dishes presented by Carmen and the winner of Match 3.

"Hey, how come you get to be a judge?" Usopp complained as he and Nami stood behind him.

"You're just jealous that you didn't think of it," Ricky replied, "try this…" Ricky shoved a fork-full of food into the marksman's mouth causing Usopp's eyes to go wide.

"Wow… that's good," Usopp commented.

"I know," Ricky agreed, "It's from that over-the-top dramatic chick up there, her cooking flare is rather eccentric but there's no denying that she's a decent cook." Ricky turned to the other judges at the table, "I'm going with Contestant Number 7… three and a half points for flare and four and a half for the food." The other judges nodded and totaled the scores. Carmen was declared the winner and was now going on to the Finals to face Contestant Number 4 Sanji.

"You're actually taking this seriously," Nami realized.

"Of course," Ricky answered, "I didn't join the judges table just to get free food. That's something you'd do… probably Luffy too."

"Then why are you sitting at the table?" Usopp wondered.

"I want my Nakama to win this thing," said Ricky, he stood up from the table, "Nami, sit there." Nami looked confused as she sat down in Ricky's vacated seat. "That weird lady cooks good food so we need to give our cook some added motivation."

With that Ricky went and intercepted Sanji who was on his way to the stage for the Final Match. "Oi, Sanji," Ricky called out to get Sanji's attention.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Look who's at the Judge's Table," Ricky pointed out.

Sanji turned and his eyes turned into hearts as the spotted Nami sitting in the fifth seat. "NAMI!" Sanji swooned, "I'LL COOK MY ABSOLUTE BEST TO PERPARE A SUPERB DISH FOR HER TO JUDGE!"

Ricky flashed a sly grin as Sanji practically ran onto the stage, "That's what I thought," he said as he walked back towards the Judge's Table.

"NOW… IT'S THE FINAL ROUND!" Sapi announced earning a loud cheer from the gathered crowd.

"Oh wow!" Usopp exclaimed, "everyone's getting really excited."

"I'll say," agreed Nami, as she sat in her spot at the judge's table.

"I'd say Sanji's even more excited," Ricky pointed out, Sanji still had hearts in his eyes as he stood on stage and waited for the Final Match to commence. "Now gimme my seat back."

"You gave it up, it's mine now!" Nami refused, she flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Alright, if that's the way you want it…" Ricky turned and tapped the judge next to Nami on the shoulder, "Hey Panchi, this girl's trying to steal my seat."

Nami's eyes wide, "He's lying!" she objected.

"What… no that's Sam," said Panchi the judge as the point to Ricky who was still wearing the 'Sam' nametag. "He's been sitting there judging the whole competition with us."

"I left to go to the bathroom before the Finals started," Ricky told him. "After all those other dishes I wanted to make some room for this one. When I came back this girl who I've never met before had taken my seat."

"Look girl, this table's for judges only," Panchi pointed out, "Give Sam his seat back so we can start the Finals. Don't ruin everyone else's good time."

"Yeah girl," Ricky added, "the crowd's excited, you wouldn't want to ruin their good mood by holding up the final match would you?"

Nami scowled and got out of the seat, Ricky flashed his sly grin and slid back into his chair and turned his attention to the competition oblivious of Nami glaring at the back of his head. While he hadn't tricked her out of money, he had out-lied her out of an opportunity for free five-star food. Nami – 1, Ricky – 1

Looking to take her anger out on someone, Nami turned to Usopp. Usopp went wide-eyed and threw his green backpack onto the ground then climbed into it along with his other purchases and zipped it up behind him. Nami glared at the bulging backpack but then grinned. Ricky may have tricked her this time but she was pleased to see that she wasn't losing her touch in regards to people who _hadn't _grown up swindling pirates. "This isn't over," Nami assured Ricky as she picked up her shopping bags and wandered off into the crowd.

Ricky grinned then lifted Usopp's backpack up and moved it so it was beside the table. The backpack unzipped and the sniper's long nose poked out as he peeked out of the opening and saw that he now had a front-row seat to watch the finals of the Cooking Contest. Sanji and Carmen were standing on the stage and it looked like the Final Match was about to start.

"With his instinctive skills and sense for food… we have in the finals… SANJI!" Sapi announced, "Facing him with her gorgeous presentation and culinary acumen… CARMEN! Who will be the winner of the glorious Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna! START YOUR COOKING!" **GONG!** Sapi rang the wok-gong and the final match of the Loguetown Cooking Contest was officially underway.

Carmen started off with an overabundance of flare and sang as she rinsed the carrots and then cackled madly as she peeled them and made the single orange peel fly up over her head and dance like a ribbon.

Carmen's assistants Leo and Jose waved red flags and attempted to distract Sanji who wasn't having any of it. Sanji effortlessly tossed around a fish and a knife as he cut out the bones and easily sliced it up into smaller pieces.

Carmen twirled around and did a dramatic pirouette before she filled a big pot with water. Sanji casually rinsed off his fish knife before he cracked a trio of eggs with only one hand and let them drip into a bowl. He produces a whisk and beat the eggs until they were all mixed together. Sanji left the egg bowl on the counter and his mind wandered while Carmen continued to use overly dramatic showmanship on her dish.

"_I KNOW ITS FOR REAL!" nine-year-old Sanji exclaimed on board the Cruise Obit._

"_You don't really believe that do you?" asked Cook 1. "It's silly!"_

"_What would a kid like you know anyway?" Cook 2 teased._

"_I KNOW A LOT MORE THAN YOU DO, YOU BASTARD!" Sanji yelled._

"_That'll be enough Sanji," Cook 1 scolded him. "Don't you see we're busy cooking? We don't have enough time for these silly games. Why don't you go set out the plates?"_

Sanji silently minced an onion as he thought to himself and ignored Carmen who was dancing more than she was cooking, _"I know that theoretically this is an impossibility… the North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue… they're separate seas that shouldn't be able to mix because of the Red Line Continent going North-to-South and the Grand Line Ocean Current running West-to-East. A place where you can find fish from all four seas SHOULD be impossible."_

"_BUT I KNOW IT EXISTS! I HAS TO!" nine-year-old Sanji exclaimed._

Sanji slid the chopped vegetables into a pot, _"That's right… how else do you explain the West Blue Costal Fish and the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna?" _Sanji poured wine into the pot and made sure to coat the vegetables. _"That old geezer might not have just been telling stories… I have no choice… I have to look for it in the Grand Line."_

"_I don't care how long it takes!" young Sanji vowed, "I WILL find it!"_

"_The Legendary Sea… the All Blue!" _**FWOOOSH! **Flames shot up out of the frying pan with the fish Sanji was tending to as he came out of his thoughts and once again concentrated on the Cooking Contest. Sanji shifted the pan a few times to stir the fish properly, then put the lid over it and dashed over to the pot with the vegetable stew in it and stirred it all with a ladle.

The two cooks finished the final preparation, Carmen dished out a pile of plates to put her food on while Sanji grabbed the handle of his frying pan and flung the fish cooking inside up into the air. He grabbed a pair of plates and caught the fish on the way down.

The two fully prepared meals looked amazing as they were set out on two tables and presented to the judges while the crowd cheered loudly "THE CONTESTANTS ARE DONE… SO NOW IT'S ALL IN THE HANDS OF THE JUDGES!"

After the judges (and the backpack) had all tried some of the two dishes and deliberated about their decision, Ricky stood up with a white sheet of paper to announce their totally unbiased decision.

"Alright…" Ricky called out, "the winner of this year's Cooking Championship is…"

"WAIT!" Carmen called out as she rose from her seat and got everyone's attention. Carmen walked over to Sanji and stood next to him, "I can't forgive myself… I can't believe I thought I could beat you! I watched you cook while you were young… you were driven even back then… They wouldn't let me in the kitchen like you and it made me so resentful. I've trained so hard for so many years… that's why I wanted to find you and show you what I had learned. But after all this time you've only gotten better… I don't know what made me think I could beat you. The truth is… you beat me… fair and square. You are the Number One Cook in the East Blue."

"Well… that makes my job easier," Ricky commented as he folded up the judge's decision and stuffed it into his pocket.

Sanji took his cigarette out of his mouth then stood up and smiled at Carmen, "Carmen! That's the greatest compliment anyone's ever given to me!" Sanji swooned as he leaned in to kiss a woman who clearly respected and appreciated his cooking talents but was also a firey and passionate cook herself. "I'm so happy you I could…"

"DON'T YOU KISS HER!" **WONK! **Leo came flying out from behind Carmen and smashed Sanji in the face with a frying pan.

**THWAK!** Sanji kicked Leo away and shouted after him, "WHY'D YOU DO THAT!"

Ignoring the sounds of her apprentice's crash landing, Carmen turned to Sanji, "I'm forfeiting this round. But be ready for the next time we meet. I won't lose to you again."

"Well if it's a challenge from you Carmen, I'll definitely accept," Sanji replied.

The crowd cheered at the feel-good ending to the competition while Sapi called out the result, "AND THE WINNER IS… SANJI!"

**-x-**

Some time later the four Straw Hat Pirates were walking through Loguetown.

"Wow, that was fun," commented Nami, who wasn't carrying anything, "I don't know why but I just love competitions!"

"HEY! WHY AM I STUCK CARRYING THIS THING?" Usopp complained, he was stuck carrying the entire Elephant Tuna.

"I told you, it's for strength training," Ricky answered as he walked casually alongside him with his hands in his pockets. "I trained by tying big rocks to my back. Luffy's grandpa did the same thing to him. You'll get stronger as you get used to the weight, that big fish is the first step on your Brave Warrior of the Sea Strength Training."

Usopp grumbled and continued to waddle down the street but stopped complaining, he was hunched over with the giant fish lying sideways along his shoulders.

"_Wow, an actual Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna,"_ Sanji thought to himself as he walked alongside Nami carrying her shopping bags and the big sack of clothing that she'd 'persuaded' him to carry for her. _"I wonder what it tastes like? I'm gonna use the fins for stock, I know that… but what am I gonna do with the ears? I just can't wait to cook it!"_

Nami suddenly stopped walking and stared up into the sky, "What's up Navigator?" asked Ricky.

"It's… the air," Nami told them. "It's going to rain."

"But it's so nice!" Usopp protested.

"There's not a single gray cloud in sight," Ricky pointed out.

"I'm sure of it," Nami assured them as they picked up their pace looking to avoid the oncoming storm.

**-x-**

In another part of Loguetown Luffy and Zoro was casually walking down a street when a strong wind blew by and sent Luffy's straw hat flying off in a distance.

"AAAHHH! MY HAT!" Luffy exclaimed as he immediately ran after his treasure. "WAIT!" Zoro was left standing there as Luffy chased his hat down a back alley and around a corner, "STOP HAT!"

"Uh… Luffy?" Zoro called out as he wandered down the same alley that Luffy had just run through. But unlike Luffy, he didn't take the turn and just kept going straight.

Luffy's hat finally landed on the ground in the middle of the town square, Luffy ran up to it and picked it up then looked up and noticed that he was FINALLY back at the Execution Scaffold. "I FOUND IT!" Luffy exclaimed. "Hah, here it goes!"

**-x-**

"We've found him!" a cloaked Cabajj reported to a cloaked Buggy around a corner in a dark alley, "This way!"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Buggy. Now they finally had a chance to enact their revenge on Straw Hat. "Let's go flashily!" Buggy ordered as he led his cloaked pirate crew through a back alley towards the square.

**-x-**

"He's there now?" questioned Smoker back at the Marine Base.

"Yes Captain," Lieutenant Devo answered, "We were watching the square like you ordered and he just showed up out of nowhere!"

"Perfect," said Smoker as he got up and walked out of the office, Devo followed closely behind him. _"So… he finally showed up. It took him long enough."_

**-x-**

Sanji's dream girl was walking down a street still wearing her white cowgirl hat and her heart covered pink cloak. She was carrying a giant iron mace on her shoulder and appeared to be heading towards the square just like Buggy and Smoker.

**-x-**

"WOOHOO!" Luffy cheered as he stood on the top of the execution platform and overlook the Loguetown Town Square. "So this is what the King of the Pirates saw when he died! Hah!" Luffy was oblivious to the trouble heading his way. A storm was coming, and he was going to be right in the middle of it.

**-x-**

The filler is over, now we're back to canon. Next chapter it's time for Buggy's revenge.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	50. Chapter 49

**Another Nakama:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**Buggy's Revenge:**

**-x-**

Luffy stood on top of the execution platform in the Loguetown town square and took in what the King of the Pirates saw right before he was executed twenty-two years ago.

"That old man said this is the place where it all happened," Luffy commented, "twenty-two years ago the King of the Pirates was executed right here."

"**HEY YOU! UP THERE! GET DOWN FROM THERE IMMEDIATELY!" **came a loud voice. Luffy looked down and spotted a policeman with a gray hat and a white coat yelling into a megaphone.

"Why?" asked Luffy.

"THAT EXECUTION PLATFORM IS GOVERNMENT PROPERTY!" the policeman called out. "NOW GET DOWN FROM THERE AT ONCE! I'LL ARREST YOU IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN!"

**WHONK!** Before Luffy could reply, the policeman was clobbered with a giant spiky mace. "Hmph, now's not the time for such trifles," said the woman standing over the now unconscious policeman. She wore a white cowgirl hat with a pink feather in it and a pink cloak that was covered in hearts. "I've been looking for you for a long time, Luffy."

"Huh?" questioned Luffy, as he stared down at the woman and tried to remember her. She had black hair and her lips were dark red. She had flawless skin and had big black eyes.

"Now that's just rude," the woman commented, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten me."

"WOW!" a man exclaimed, all the people in the square – men and woman – had hearts in their eyes as they stared at the beautiful woman. "She's beautiful! I've never seen such pure beauty!"

"Her skin looks so soft and smooth!" a woman cooed.

"Forgot?" Luffy repeated. "I don't think we've ever met. Who are you?"

"I'll never forget _you_," the woman replied. "You were the first man who ever truly struck me."

"What? I never hit you!" Luffy protested while the civilians all glared at him for hitting such a beautiful woman.

"I can still feel your punch where it stuck my face," said the possibly insane woman as she rubbed her smooth cheek where Luffy had allegedly punched her.

"Listen up everyone!" the woman called out to the crowd. "Who is the most beautiful person in the world?"

"THAT MUST BE YOU!" the entire crowd of both men and women chorused.

"That's correct," the woman answered. "I am quite breath-taking aren't I? There isn't a man alive who wouldn't crumble before my beauty. But I prefer strong men, like you Luffy. I'm going to make you all mine!"

"Aw gross, no way!" Luffy retorted, seemingly impervious to the woman's beauty and actually found the idea of being _hers_ repulsive. Luffy's true love was adventure and his dream of becoming King of the Pirates, not some crazy lady with a club. "Who the heck are you?"

"You still haven't figured it out?" questioned the woman.

"FREEZE!" another policeman called out as he and another bunch of policemen ran over and pointed guns at the woman. "THIS IS THE POLICE! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR ASSAULTING A POLICE CAPTAIN! PUT YOUR WEAPON DOWN AND COME QUIETLY!" Two policemen helped the unconscious police captain up before the lead policeman turned to Luffy, "AND YOU, GET OFF OF THAT PLATFORM!"

"Are you really going to arrest _me_?" asked the woman as she batted her eyes that the policemen and then smiled at them.

Hearts appeared in their eyes as they lowered their guns, "She's too beautiful!" one of the ensnared policemen sighed.

"I DON'T CARE!" the equally ensnared leader snapped, "JUST ARREST HER!"

"**SURPRISE!" **an eerily familiar voice shouted, a figure came crashing down out of the sky and slammed into a fountain, **KER-RASH!** The fountain broke into pieces and smashed into the policemen, knocking them all out.

**WOOSH!** The top of the fountain went flying towards the beautiful woman and looked like it was going to hit her, "WATCH OUT MISS!" a concerned civilian called out. **SWIP!** But the woman didn't move and the fountain seemingly SLIPPED right passed her and crashed into a building, **KRASH!**

"It slipped right passed her!" a civilian exclaimed in amazement.

"Oh man, that was weird," Luffy commented.

A cloaked figure with a red nose chuckled as he walked out of the wreckage of the fountain and walked over to the woman. A bunch of other cloaked figures followed behind him. "That was a dangerous stunt you pulled," the woman lightly scolded him.

"Sorry," the cloaked man apologized, "but your smooth skin is unharmed of course, so there's no need to worry… Lady Alvida."

"Alvida?" Luffy repeated, wasn't that the fat pirate lady from the firstchapter? "I don't see Alvida."

"DON'T BE SO DENSE, YOU DIMWIT!" 'Alvida' snapped, "_I'M _ALVIDA!"

"Are you sure?" asked Luffy, "cause I don't think you're her."

"I guess I really did change after eating the Slip Slip Fruit," Alvida realized. **SWISH!** Alvida threw off her pink cloak to reveal her MUUUUCH thinner body. She wore a white bra under an opened purple coat and a pair of pink and white striped pants. The bra did nothing to hide her curvy body and her incredibly smooth skin. "No attack can hurt my skin, cause it slides right off. It didn't do much to improve my already gorgeous looks, but it did get rid of my freckles."

"Uh… I don't think that's it," Luffy disagreed, that Devil Fruit was a magic weight-loss product.

"After becoming a whole new person," Alvida continued, as the group of cloaked figures stood behind her, "I decided to join forces with someone who shared my goal of finding you."

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" the cloaked figure with the red clown nose laughed as he threw off his own cloak, **SWISH! **"NOW THAT I'VE FLASHILY MADE MY ENTRANCE, HERE'S TH REAL STAR OF THE SHOW!" IT WAS BUGGY THE CLOWN! **(A/N: If anyone's still surprised… shame on you.)** Buggy had found his lost limbs and was now a whole pirate. "MONKEY D. LUFFY! Ever since the day you sent me flying I've become obsessed with exacting my revenge on you! That alone led me to finally finding my crew! It was a flashy adventure!"

"What was your name again…" Luffy wondered, "Baggy, Boogie… OH! I KNOW! BUFFOON!"

"BUFFOON?" Buggy repeated in an outrage. "YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE YOU RUBBER BASTARD! AND NOW BUGGY THE CLOWN IS GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!"

"That's Buggy the Clown!" realized one of the civilians. "Then that means…"

"IT'S THE BUGGY PIRATES!" everyone collectively screamed before turning and attempting to run away. "AAAAHHHH!"

"YOU PEOPLE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Buggy demanded.

"**STRONGMAN SHOCKWAVE!" KER-WHAAM!** Shogi, Buggy's Crew's Strongman, came flying out of the sky and slammed his fist into the ground, the ground shook and the fleeing crowd was knocked off balance and crashed to the ground. He still wore his black costume which had a single shoulder strap and ended in a pair of shorts.

"Good work Shogi," Buggy commented, "I just love a captive audience!" The civilians looked scared as Buggy's crew pulled out guns and pointed aimed at them. Buggy loudly addressed them, "I want every single one of you to see exactly how scary I can be!"

"Oh yeah! Buggy, right?" Luffy finally realized.

"YOU MEAN YOU JUST FIGURED IT OUT?" Buggy shrieked.

**WHUMP! **Luffy suddenly found himself lying on the execution platform with a big wooden chopping block on top of his body, leaving him with only his head and arms sticking out from under it. Cabaji, Buggy's Second Mate, sat on top of it and smirked down at Luffy, "Long time no see, you rubber freak," Cabaji commented, "How's your pal Roronoa Zoro?"

"Got him!" Buggy exclaimed, "Good job Cabaji! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! ATTENTION EVERYONE! WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE SUPER-FLASHY EXECUTION OF MONKEY D. LUFFY! You should be honored Straw Hat, you're gonna die in the same place as the King of the Pirates! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Luffy struggled to get free, but was pinned under Cabaji and the chopping block. Storm clouds were moving in and it looked like Luffy was in big trouble.

**-x-**

"Uh oh, the barometric pressure is falling fast," Nami observed as she stared at a barometer while the clouds blew in over head. "I've never seen such a sharp drop before."

Ricky stared up at the previously white clouds which had now turned gray, "And to think you saw this coming," he commented. "Good thing you're our navigator. Nobody else would've been able to predict this storm."

"No one's better at sensing the weather than Miss. Nami!" Sanji told him, still holding Nami's numerous shopping bags.

"I suppose that's why she's on our crew then," Ricky reasoned.

"Wait… a storm?" questioned Usopp, who was still struggling to hold up the enormous Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna that Sanji had won in the Cooking Contest.

"Yeah, there's a big one heading right for this island," Nami informed them. "We'd better hurry back to the ship or we'll be in trouble."

"**Hey!"** came a familiar voice, the four Straw Hats turned and spotted Zoro coming from the other direction, he looked lost. "Where is he… have you guys seen him around here?"

"You mean Luffy?" asked Usopp.

"Yeah, we got separated," Zoro explained, "and I keep getting this feeling… it's not good. It usually means that something bad is gonna happen."

"I kind of figured it out from that scared looking crowd that's running this way," said Ricky as he pointed off to the side. The other four turned and saw a crowd of civilians running away from the town square.

"AAAAHHHH! IT'S BUGGY THE CLOWN!" one of them shouted as the crowd ran passed the five members of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew.

**-x-**

"Sir, we have an update on the situation," Petty Officer Masshikaku reported as Smoker, Devo, and Tashigi arrived. "It's not just 'Straw Hat' Luffy, it's also Buggy 'the Clown' and 'Iron Mace' Alvida. They're all there, wanted pirates from the East Blue have taken over our town square!"

"They do all of this right in front of me?" questioned Smoker, "Those arrogant scumbags."

"Sir, what are your orders?" asked Masshikaku.

"Lieutenant, take Unit One out to the harbor," Smoker ordered, "Have Unit Two surround the pirates from the streets, and have the rest stand-by within shooting rang of the square."

"Yes sir!" chorused Masshikaku and Devo as they ran off to follow Smoker's orders.

"Lieutenant…" Smoker called after Devo.

"Sir?" said Devo as he stopped and turned around.

"Crush any pirate ships as soon as you see them," Smoker commanded. "I don't want a single one of those wretched pirates to get off this island, not a single one."

"Yes sir!" Devo agreed as he ran off to get Unit One.

**-x-**

**THOOM! **Thunder crashed as thick black clouds rolled in over head.

**Whap!** Ricky grabbed a passing civilian and lifted him up in front of him, "What's going on?" he asked.

"It's an execution!" answered the man. "Buggy the Clown is gonna kill Straw Hat Luffy!"

"Shit," Ricky cursed as he released the man and let him run away then took off his sunglasses.

"Th-they're gonna e-execute him?" Usopp stammered.

"That freaking idiot!" Nami snapped.

"Nami, Usopp, get back to the ship and get it ready to cast off," Ricky instructed as he slipped into First Mate mode, "we've gotta get out of here as quickly as possible. Sanji, drop the bags, you and Zoro come with me to the town square. Let's go!"

With that Ricky, Zoro, and Sanji ran off for the square leaving Nami and Usopp to hold the giant fish and the shopping bags.

"Come on, we've gotta hurry," said Nami as she picked up the shopping bags and the sack of clothes and started heading in the opposite direction.

"Right, to the harbor," Usopp agreed as he followed behind her. He'd been carrying the big fish for a long time now, and in the tense moment it didn't seem as heavy.

**-x-**

"Captain Smoker, things are getting really weird," said a marine as Smoker and Tashigi walked out onto the balcony of a theatre across the square from the platform. The theatre gave them the perfect view of the 'show' that was going on in front of them on the scaffold.

Smoker took out a pair of binoculars and peered through them, "It's that kid," he realized as he spotted Luffy lying on the platform stuck under a chopping block. Buggy the Clown was standing on the platform with him and seemed to be taunting him. "What's he doing up there?"

Tashigi pulled out binoculars of her own and looked through them, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Monkey D. Luffy is about to be executed," she observed.

"_That kid looks pathetic," _Smoker thought to himself as he remembered meeting Luffy at the harbor.

"_Personal quest, to see where the King of the Pirates died," Luffy replied._

"_For some reason that kid caught my attention," _Smoker said to himself. _"I thought he was different from the others. Looks like he's nothing but pirate scum after all."_

"Captain, we are ready to attack," one of the marine snipers stationed at the theatre informed him.

"Don't be hasty," Smoker told him. "One pirate is about to kill another. Let them fight it out first. That'll save us the trouble." Smoker turned and addressed all the marines that were in the theatre with him. "Listen, once Straw Hat's head rolls, we arrest Buggy, Alvida, and their gang. And do it fast!"

**-x-**

**THOOOM!** Lightning flashed and thunder crashed up in the stormy gray sky as Buggy stood over Luffy and cackled at him. "BWAHAHAHAHA! PIRATE MONKEY D. LUFFY OF THE STRAW HATS, WILL BE FLASHILY EXECUTED FOR THE CRIME OF PISSING ME OFF! BWAHAHA! GIVE IT UP FLASHILY!"

"YEEEEAAAHHH!" Buggy's men cheered while the crowd of civilians looked on in shock.

"Oh boy!" Luffy exclaimed, "I've never seen an execution!"

"_You're_ the one being executed!" Buggy snapped.

"What?" questioned Luffy, "Stop joking!"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Buggy laughed, "I HEARBY FLASHILY BEGIN THE FESTIVITIES OF THIS PUBLIC EXECUTION! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

**-x-**

**Luffy's Last Words:**

**-x-**

"Here's the plan," said Ricky as he, Sanji, and Zoro ran for the platform. "I'll run in first and get rid of any threatening member's of Buggy's Crew. You guys hack your way through the rest of them and save Luffy."

"Sounds simple enough," Zoro agreed.

"Once you've got him, head for the harbor," Ricky continued, "Sanji, make sure Luffy and Zoro don't get lost. And be careful of any marines. This place will be crawling with them at any second."

"Right," Sanji replied as they raced to save their captain.

**-x-**

"I saw a massive cumulous cloud in the eastern sky," said Nami as she and Usopp ran for the Going Merry. "That means that an unimaginably big storm is heading our way and it's coming in fast! If Buggy and Luffy have caused a scene, the marines are sure to come out, and if our ship is washed out to see when we need to escape then we're done for!"

"That _is _a big deal!" Usopp realized.

"I bet the marines have already started taking action," Nami continued, "They'll destroy the Going Merry if they find it."

"So you're telling me that the Going Merry is in danger?" questioned Usopp, he picked up his pace and raced passed Nami, the weight of the fish was nothing now, his beloved ship was in danger. "COME ON NAMI! HURRY UP! "

"WAIT FOR ME!" Nami called out as she ran after him.

**-x-**

"Alright men, double time!" Lieutenant Devo ordered as he and Unit One ran for the harbor. "We have to get to the harbor immediately and destroy every last pirate ship vessel! WE CAN'T LET THOSE PIRATES ESCAPE!"

"YES SIR!" Unit One chorused.

**-x-**

"Ri-ding a-round on a Ri-chie bike, who's that man, who's that man, it's me!" sang Mohji as he rode his massive lion Richie towards the harbor and stopped in front of the Going Merry. "So this is Straw Hat's ship, huh? It's gotten bigger, but he won't need it where he's going! It's almost time for Buggy to flashily finish him off."

"However!" Mohji continued while the Merry sweat-dropped, "just in case the rubber guy who has absolutely no chance of escaping, happens to escape, we need to burn this ship down! Burning wood smells so good."

**-x-**

"I'm sorry… really I am…" Luffy apologized in a bored monotone, "Please spare my life…"

"AS IF I'D SPARE YOUR LIFE!" Buggy snapped.

"This is what happens when you go against us," Cabaji stated as he stood with Alvida and Shogi and watched the captain up on the platform.

"I guess this is it for the man I had my eye on," Alvida commented.

"Too bad the others aren't here," said Shogi, "I was looking forward to ripping One Eye's head from his body."

"You've got a pretty big audience here," Buggy pointed out, "you want to say a few words before you die?" Luffy growled as he laid on the platform while Buggy continued to taunt him, "Aww… cat got you tongue? That's alright, stay quiet. Or as a few words, it doesn't matter, you're still gonna die!"

At that moment Luffy decided that he _did _want to say something, "LISTEN!" he hollered, "I'M THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES!"

Luffy's voice carried throughout Loguetown and left the civilians staring up in shock. "He said… King of the pirates…" a man stammered.

"In this town of all place?" questioned another man. This was where the old Pirate King died, but now this kid who was about to get executed was claiming that he become the new Pirate King.

"Well then," said Buggy, "IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, LET'S DO THIS!"

"**HOLD IT!" **came a loud voice. Everyone turned and saw One Eye Ricky running through the crowd wearing Daddy the Father's signature black cowboy hat. "Gimme back by Captain you big-nosed bastard!"

"YOU! ONE EYE!" Buggy exclaimed.

"RICKY!" Luffy cheered. "YOU CAME TO SAVE ME!"

"CABAJI! SHOGI! STOP HIM!" Buggy ordered.

The Acrobat and the Strongman turned to cut off the rapidly approaching pirate. Cabaji hopped on his unicycle and wheeled towards him while Shogi cracked his knuckles and got ready to fight.

"ONE EYE! I'LL KILL YOU!" Shogi snapped as he charged at Ricky. "STRONGMAN PUNCH!"

**WOOSH **Ricky ran under Shogi's arm then sprang off of the ground and dropkicked Cabaji in the chest, "ARROW KICK!" **WHAM!** Cabaji was knocked backwards and took out Curly, Larry, and Moe who were standing behind him. The four of them landed in a heap, but the Second Mate sat back up and looked pissed.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Cabaji snapped as he got back up but left his unicycle lying where it was on top of the three stooges, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

"You'll have to catch me first," Ricky replied as he turned and ran, **SHOOM!** He leapt fifteen feet up into the air and flew over Shogi's head, then ran off the way he came.

"CABAJI, SHOGI! DON'T LET THE CYCLOPS GET AWAY!" Buggy commanded.

"No problem," Shogi agreed as he and Cabaji chased Ricky out of the square and down Main Street.

"Well then," said Buggy as he pulled out a sword and raised it over his head, "NOW THAT THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF… IT'S TIME TO FLASHILY EXECUTE STRAW HAT!"

"**STOP THE EXECUTION!" **came another loud voice.

"WHAT NOW?" Buggy yelled as he looked through the crowd and spotted Roronoa Zoro and some blond haired guy in a suit standing on the other side of the crowd where Ricky, Cabaji, and Shogi had just ran passed.

"SANJI! ZORO!" Luffy exclaimed, happy to see the rest of his Nakama.

"Luffy you idiot!" Zoro scolded him, "I guess all that fooling around finally caught up with you."

"You starting a sideshow, or is that just how you look?" Sanji taunted. "Pretty sad. Now what we've gotta do is drive these goons away."

"IT'S PIRATE HUNTER ZORO!" a civilian shouted. "AAAAAHHHH!" The crowd parted and everyone ran off screaming at seeing the famous pirate hunter.

"HEY GUYS!" Luffy called out.

"You made it Zoro!" commented Buggy, "BUT YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE!" Buggy raised his sword up above his head and prepared to take Luffy's head off.

"We have to hurry and break down that platform," Zoro told Sanji as the two of them ran into the crowd of pirates.

"Okay boys, GET HIM!" Alvida ordered. The pirates let out a cheer and charge to meet Zoro and Sanji.

**-x-**

"What's going on?" asked Smoker.

"Well, the first one was Straw Hat's First Mate, One Eye Ricky," explained one of the marines in the theatre, "Now Roronoa Zoro's here."

"The Pirate Hunter? What great timing," Smoker commented.

"Sir, we've received reports that he's with Luffy's group," a marine felt obligated to inform him.

Tashigi raised her binoculars and stared through them, "THAT GUY! HE'S RORONOA ZORO!" Tashigi exclaimed as she finally recognized the green haired man from the sword shop.

**-x-**

**SLISH! **Zoro slashed one pirate with _Kitetsu III_, the sword in his right hand, then lashed out and cut another one with _Yubashiri_, the sword in his left hand, **SLOSH!** A third pirate came and Zoro used _Wado Ichimonji_, the sword in his mouth, to cut him down, **SLASH!**

**SWISH!** Sanji dodged a sword strike from a pirate then raised his leg and brought it down on the back of the pirate's head, **THWAK! **Another two pirates ran over and Sanij dropped down onto his hands and spun around while lashing out his legs, **THWAK-WAK!** Both pirates were taken down at the same time and Sanji flipped back up to his feet and raced for the platform.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Buggy laughed madly, "NOT EVEN THE GREAT ZORO CAN STOP ME NOW! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO, THIS IS THE END FOR YOUR CAPTAIN!"

"BASTARD!" Sanji shouted as he lashed out his leg and kicked a pirate in the face, **THWHAM!**

**SLISH-SLISH-SLOSH!** Zoro slashed all three of his swords and another pirate dropped in front of him._ "If I can just cut down the platform…" _he thought to himself.

**-x-**

"Listen, the second Monkey D. Luffy's head falls, we all attack together," ordered a marine as he and a squad of marines aimed their guns at the pirates.

"Prepare for battle," Smoker told the marines up in the theatre.

"SIR!"

**-x-**

"Come on guys, you've gotta want it," Ricky called out behind him as he darted through a back alley. _"I didn't see that annoying lion-guy in the square. I wouldn't put it passed those bastards to attack our ship. I'd better head to the harbor, if Nami and Usopp aren't there yet I'll have to save the Merry."_

"When I get my hands on you, I'll break you in half!" Shogi yelled as he and Cabaji ran after Ricky. **Huff… puff… **"Damn… this little bastard's fast…"

"Keep running," Cabaji instructed, "we can't let him get away!"

**-x-**

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Buggy cackled as he prepared to bring down his sword.

"ZORO! SANJI!" Luffy called out to his two Nakama that were desperately fighting to save him.

"USOPP! NAMI!" Luffy yelled out the names of his Nakama that were running to the harbor in an attempt to save the ship and assure their escape.

RICKY!" Luffy shouted his brother's name as he sprinted towards the Going Merry with two of Buggy's strongest pirates chasing him and another awaiting him.

"SORRY…" Luffy smiled and apologized, "BUT… I'M DEAD."

"_IDIOT!" _Zoro growled.

"_DON'T SAY THAT!" _Sanji snarled.

"He smiled…" said Smoker as his eyes went wide in shock.

**Krak-krak-KA-THOOOOOM!** Thunder crashed and suddenly a bolt of lighting came down from the sky and connected with the metal sword that Buggy had been holding over his head.

Zoro, Sanji, Buggy's Crew, the civilians, and the marines all stared in shock as the platform shook and started to fall apart. Buggy was engulfed in blue flames as was the entire top of the platform. **Klank… klank… klank… **A metal beam from the platform crashed down to the ground in front of the shocked audience. The blue flames spread until they covered the entire platform and gave off and eerie blue glow.

The sky burst opened and rain started to fall. The storm had finally arrived. The rain wasn't enough to put out the blue flames, but the rickety platform could no longer stay standing, **KREEEK… KER-RASH! **The platform tipped to the side and went crashing down to the ground taking Luffy and Buggy along with it.

The crowd still hadn't moved a muscle and stood still as Luffy's straw hat floated up into the air then drifted downwards and came to rest in a puddle that had formed in front of the toppled execution platform.

Luffy picked up his hat and put it back on his head, then stood in front of the broken platform and laughed, "HAHAHAHAHA! I'M STILL ALIVE! That's nice!" At Luffy's feet, Buggy was charred and out cold, but Luffy came out completely unharmed.

"That… was divine intervention… "Sanji stammered as Luffy ran over to him and Zoro.

"Don't talk nonsense," Zoro scolded him as he put his swords away, "We've gotta get out of this town. Our troubles are not over."

**-x-**

Up in the theatre, Smoker finally got over his shock and waved his hand, "ATTACK! SURROUND ALL THE PIRATES NOW!"

**-x-**

"RAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The marines came charging into the square from five different directions and surrounded the pirates and the crowd of civilians.

"HERE THEY COME!" Sanji exclaimed as the marines reached Buggy's crew and began to fight.

"Oh wow!" Luffy commented as he dodged to the side to avoid a flying Buggy Pirate, "Everybody here went crazy so quickly!"

**WHAP! **Luffy struggled as someone caught him by surprise and grabbed the back of his shirt, but he calmed down when he saw that it was only Zoro, "Luffy, we don't have time for this, we have got to get out of here."

"We'd better hurry back to the Going Merry or we'll never be able to leave this island," said Sanji, "AND WE SURE AS HELL WON'T GET TO THE GRAND LINE!"

"Well that's no good," Luffy decided, "RUN!" With that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji took off and ran. The marines in the square were caught up fighting the Buggy Pirates and they managed to escape into a street.

"THE STRAW HAT GANG IS GETTING AWAY!" a marine called out as the three Straw Hats ran passed him.

"CAPTURE THEM!" came a shout from a squad of marines as they came running down the street in the opposite direction of the Straw Hats.

**THWAK! **Sanji took down a pair of marines with a running kick.

**SLISH! SLISH! SLOSH! **Zoro cut down a trio of marines with his three swords.

**POW! POW! WHAP-AP-AP! **Luffy took down five with a series of rapid-fire punches.

The three Straw Hats ran off, leaving Smoker staring after them in surprise. _"Why did he smile?" _Smoker asked himself as he remembered seeing Luffy smile in the face of death. _"Did he know that he would be saved? No. At that moment he was certain that his life was about to end. He simply accepted death and smiled at it." _Smoker remembered another pirate who had smiled in the face of death… twenty-two years ago.

"**Captain! We have to pursue the pirates!"** a marine called out to Smoker, hoping to bring him out of his thoughts.

"You, think back," Smoker instructed, still caught up with what he'd just witnessed. "Have you ever seen any pirate smile on the execution platform?"

"No sir," the marine answered, "It doesn't matter how tough they are, every man fears death."

"That Straw Hat smiled," Smoker stated. "It saw it. He smiled just like Gold Roger twenty-two years ago… just like the old King of the Pirates did on that exact execution platform."

"Captain?" the marine called out, bringing Smoker out of his musings.

"Where's Straw Hat now?" asked Smoker.

"He slipped passed us and is heading toward the harbor," the marine reported.

Smoker turned and headed for the door, "Lieutenant Devo and Unit One should already be on their way there to destroy their ship."

"Captain Smoker," said Sergeant Major Tashigi, who up to his point had been silent, "If we let them set sail now they'll be able to get to the Grand Line before we can capture them."

"The wind of blowing towards the west," Smoker observed as the looked up at the gray storm clouds in the sky. "It's a tailwind for that ship. Is this just a mere coincidence, it's as if heaven itself has special plans for this young pirate."

"We'd better pick up the pace or we're toast!" called out Zoro as he, Luffy, and Sanji kept running.

"I'm a 'White Chase' Smoker… on my honor as Marine Captain… I WON'T LET THAT MAN LEAVE THIS ISLAND!" Smoker vowed.

**-x-**

Ricky sprinted along the length of the harbor but then spotted something large standing in front of the Going Merry. He tried to stop, but the wet ground was slippery and caused him to slide towards the giant lion.

"Damn, this sudden rain drenched my matches," Mohji complained as he sat on top of his Richie-bike and contemplated how he was going to burn down the Straw Hat's ship in the middle of a storm.

**WHAM!** Someone suddenly slammed into Richie, causing the lion to stagger slightly. Riche turned around and Mohji stared down in surprise at who had bumped into him.

"ONE EYE!" Mohji exclaimed, "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"

**TMP! TMP! TMP! **Cabaji and Shogi came running over and stopped and panted. "Mohji… you can't… kill… this pirate…" Shogi wheezed, he was a strongman, not a sprinter. All this running had caught up to him.

"Captain Buggy… ordered us… to take care of him…" added Cabaji who was slightly less tired.

"NO!" Mohji refused. "I want revenge for what this brat did to me last time! HE HUMILIATED ME!"

"If you'd like, you guys can fight over it," Ricky suggested, "then I'll fight the winner."

"FINE!" Shogi agreed as he cracked his knuckles, "I want revenge too."

"YOU IDIOTS!" Cabaji snapped, "he's trying to turn us against each other. We'll kill him together. He may have beaten the two of your separately, but he never beat me. And with the three of us working together he'll have no hope of survival."

"Fine then," conceded Mohji.

"I think I liked the idea of you guys fighting each other better," Ricky commented as he suddenly found himself surrounded on three sides by Cabaji, Shogi, and Richie. He drew his sword and prepared for the three-on-one fight, four-on-one if you include the lion.

**-x-**

A mysterious man wearing a hooded green cloak walked down Main Street. "Blow, winds… the storm of fate… has arrived…" Lightning flashed and lit up the man's face, he had dark hair, a big smile, and a red tattoo going down the left side of his face. Thunder sounded. **KA-THOOM!**

The man was gone.

**-x-**

The Straw Hats have to escape Loguetown, but Smoker, Buggy, and their forces are all in the way. And even if they manage to escape Buggy and the Marines, they still need to reach the Grand Line so Luffy's Legend can truly begin.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


	51. Chapter 50

**Another Nakama:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. But I do own 'The Demon' Red Eye and 'One Eye' Ricky, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire. It helps that they're the same person.

**A/N:** This is the final chapter of this story and as a result it is kind of long. The Straw Hats have to escape Loguetown and make it to the Grand Line. Enjoy the thrilling conclusion to Another Nakama.

**The Legend Begins:**

**-x-**

The mysterious green-cloaked man wandered aimlessly through Loguetown. The words of the former Pirate King Gold Roger rang through his head…

"_**Destiny… Fate… Dreams… These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life… these things shall not vanish from the Earth."**_

"The Pirate King, eh?" the man said to himself, "Fine by me."

**-x-**

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were still running for the harbor attempting to escape the Loguetown Marines. "What the heck is up with all this rain?" Zoro wondered.

The storm had finally hit and it was pouring. "Nami was right about this storm," Sanji realized, "if we don't get back to the ship and set sail soon, we're gonna be stuck here for good."

"RUN! JUST KEEP RUNNING!" Luffy exclaimed. "HAHAHAHA!"

**-x-**

In the town square the Marines and the Buggy Pirates were still fighting. The Marines were using their almost overwhelming numbers to take down the pirates and they would have won a long time ago if it weren't for one person… 'Iron Mace' Alvida. Most of the marines were too enamored to get near her, the ones that did couldn't get a good hold of her because of her Slip Slip Fruit Powers, and finally there was her GIANT mace which had already clobbered over fifty marines.

**WONK! CHONK!** Another bunch of marines were sent flying courtesy of Iron Mace Alvida's iron mace and were then crushed with the follow up swing.

Over by the toppled scaffold, Buggy's hand twitched and he sat up. "That was weird… I saw a field of flowers," Buggy muttered as he recovered from his near-death experience.

"Buggy, you're alive!" Alvida realized.

"I WON'T DIE HERE!" Buggy snapped.

"This isn't good," said Alvida, "they're sending troops from Headquarters. It's never ending."

"Heh, I don't care! They can stick their noses…" Buggy trailed off and spun around and punched Moe in the face, **POW! **"DON'T MAKE ME SAY NOSES!"

"My bad…" Moe groaned as he was knocked out.

**WONK!** Alvida took out another love-struck marine and turned to Buggy, "What now?"

"We go after that little rubber twerp!" Buggy replied. "Mohji and Richie are burning his ship as we speak so he's got no place he can run to. All that's left for us to do is to do what Buggy Pirates do best, KICK HIS ASS!"

"YEAH!" the Buggy Pirates cheered.

"MOTOR!" Buggy called out. Two pairs of wheels that were connected by axles were thrown over to Buggy, "CHOP… CHOP… BUGGY!" Buggy dropped down and grabbed the front axle in his hands and wrapped his legs around the motor that was attached to the back axle. Buggy's separated and then reattached to the back of his neck so he could see in front of him. "BOMB ENGINE… IGNITE!" **BOOOM!** The motor exploded and Buggy the buggy raced off.

"SET THE RAMP!" Alvida ordered.

"RIGHT!" a bunch of Buggy Pirate agreed as they lifted up a long plank of wood and made it into a ramp.

"NO FRICTION!" called out Alvida as she slipped off her sandals then jumped up onto the top of the ramp, "SLIP… SLIP… SLIDE!" Alvida's slippery feet caused her to slide down the ramp and slide off after buggy Buggy.

"DON'T LET THOSE PIRATES ESCAPE!" a marine called out as Buggy's crew ran after Buggy and Alvida.

"**WHITE OUT!"** Captain Smoker's gloved hands suddenly became clouds of gray smoke that shot off after the fleeing Buggy Pirates. **FWOOOSH! **The smoke surrounded the pirate crew and lifted all them up off of the ground.

"SMOKER, YOU BASTARD!" Buggy snapped as he struggled against the smoke that was holding him.

"I can't waste my time with fools!" said Smoker.

"Wow, he's so strong!" a civilian exclaimed.

"So that's the power of the Smoke Smoke Fruit," another realized.

"He took out Buggy's entire crew just like that!" the first civilian commented.

"FIRE!" Smoker ordered. **BOOOOM!** Two marines fired cannon-like guns and launched nets at the trapped pirate crew. **WHISH!**

"SMOKER! YOU BASTARD!" Buggy shouted again, he, Alvida, and his entire crew were all trapped in the steel net and were then tied up with a long length of rope.

"I can't break free of this horrible steal net!" Alvida complained. "Grr… where'd they get a gun like that?"

"It's a Prison Bullet developed by the Marines to deal with Devil Fruit Users like us," Buggy answered. "Cowards!"

"I'll get the Straw Hat," Smoker told the marines, "Bring my Blower Bike!"

"YES SIR!" the marines agreed.

**-x-**

"This is heavy!" Usopp complained as he and Nami continued to run for the harbor. He was still lugging Sanji's enormous Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna.

"They're going to be after the Going Merry!" Nami told him. "The Marine might even already be there! We've got to get back to the ship as soon as possible!"

"Nami, can't we just drop the fish?" asked Usopp.

"NO!" Nami answered, "Just try to keep up!"

"I knew you would say that," Usopp groaned.

"Look, there's the harbor!" Nami pointed out. The harbor was off in a distance at the end of the street, but they still had a ways to go.

**-x-**

Down at the harbor, Ricky was surrounded on three sides. Shogi stood between him and the Going Merry, Cabaji stood on his left and had just pulled a sword out of his mouth, and Mohji was sitting on top of Richie who was on his right.

Ricky held up _Akaikyuuketsuiki_, "Alright, let's do this."

"**HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" **came a loud voice. The four pirates and the lion all turned to see Lieutenant Devo and Unit One of the Loguetown Marines standing behind them. "YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!"

"Yeah… I'm a little busy right now," Ricky pointed out.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, PIRATE!" the Lieutenant snapped, "You filthy pirates can finish your quarrel in prison!"

Ricky glanced at the Buggy Pirates around him, "All in favor of not being arrested?" he inquired.

Mohji, Cabaji, Shogi and even Richie all raised a hand. "That's what I thought," Ricky commented, he jumped and lunged at Shogi, "THROW ME!"

**WHAP!** Shogi caught Ricky and threw him at Lt. Devo, "STRONGMAN TOSS!"

Ricky flew through the air and moved his legs out in front of him, "Flying… ARROW KICK!"** THWHAM!** Ricky slammed his legs into the surprised Lieutenant's chest and used him as a springboard. **WHUMP! **Devo went flying and smashed into the marines that were behind him, taking them down like a bunch of bowling pins. Ricky bounced off of him and went flying in the other direction, he spun around in midair with his sword out in front of him, "Red Blade… HURRICANE!" **SLA-SLISH!** Ricky slashed Shogi across the chest with his sword. Blood soaked the strongman's black tunic and he dropped down to the ground unconscious.

"YOU BASTARD!" Cabaji growled as he lashed out at Ricky with his own sword, **KLANK!** Ricky got his sword up and blocked, then pushed with all his strength and sent Cabaji staggering backwards.

Ricky spun around in time to see a giant lion lunging at him, **PUNT!** Ricky lashed out his leg and kicked Richie in the jaw, the lion's head snapped up into the air cause its rider to go flying off. Ricky lunged up off of the ground and then drove his feet down into Richie's head, "Bludgeon… STOMP!" **WHOMP!**

Ricky launched up off of the lion and flew up into the air as Mohji was coming down. Ricky raised his sword and spun around in midair, "Red Blade… VOLCANO!"** SLA-SLISH!** Ricky slashed Mohji across the chest while in mid air, then went down and landed on his feet, **TMP!** Mohji on the other hand landed hard on the ground,** THUD!** The beast tamer was left in an unconscious heap alongside the unmoving forms of Shogi and Richie.

"And then there was one," said Ricky as he turned around in time to block another sword strike from Cabaji.

"Hmph," Cabaji grunted, "You may have beaten those idiots, but you've never beaten me and you never will!"

"**Special Attack… FRESH EGG STAR!"** **SPLAK!** An egg came flying out of nowhere and impacted with the side of Cabaji's head. The egg cracked and the yoke dripped into Cabaji's visible eye.

"AAHHH! MY EYE!" Cabaji complained as he staggered backwards, momentarily blinded by the egg yoke.

"You're wide open!" Ricky called out as he spun around and slashed his sword, "Red Blade… TORNADO!" **SLA-SLISH!** Cabaji was slashed twice across the stomach and went flying backwards, already out cold.

Ricky panted slightly then turned and smiled, "Thanks Usopp."

Usopp and Nami were standing behind the squad of marines. Sanji's Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna was on the ground and Usopp was holding his slingshot.

Usopp looked surprised when he noticed the unconscious lion next to Ricky. "That story… it was true…" Usopp realized.

"Of course," Ricky replied.

"Well… in that case," Usopp took a deep breath and addressed the Marines, "I AM CAPTAIN USOPP! YOU MARINES HAD BETTER RUN NOW! I'VE GOT A BAND OF SIX HUNDRED MEN BEHIND ME!"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Lieutenant Devo growled as he staggered back up and stood over the pile of marines. He glanced around him and noticed the four unconscious Buggy Pirates and the three conscious Straw Hats. "Ehahaha, I hoped I'd be the one to catch you three. You're all under arrest!" **SWISH! **A split-second later Devo was pointing a pair of pistols at Ricky.

"NOW USOPP!" Ricky shouted.

Devo whirled around and saw Usopp standing there fumbling to load his slingshot, he quickly realized he'd been tricked, "SHIT!" the Lieutenant cursed, he spun around in time to see Ricky charging at him with his sword drawn, "Red Blade…"

Devo quickly pulled the triggers on his pistols, **BANG! BANG!  
**

"LIGHTNING STRIKE!"

**THU-THUNK!** The two bullets struck Ricky in the chest, but he kept going and slashed Devo across the chest as he went passed.** SLISH!** **KRASH!** Ricky lost his balance and went crashing down to the ground. Blood squirted out of the large gash Ricky had made across Devo's chest and the marine dropped to his knees. "Damn you... pirates..." he groaned before he flopped forward and laid on the ground unconscious.

"Ricky! You okay?" Nami asked in concern.

"Uhhh… Did I get 'im?" he groaned.

"Yeah, you got him alright," Usopp answered as he glanced at the Marine Lieutenant, Unit One, the giant lion, the lion-tamer, the strongman, and the acrobat, all of whom Ricky had knocked out, "you got all of them."

"Great," said Ricky. He put his sword away once it finished drinking all the blood it had been given during the battle, then let out another groan as he shakily stood up. He held his hand over the two blood bullet holes on his chest then turned to the other two. "Let's get to the ship. We need to get it ready to cast off."

**-x-**

**VRRROOOOOOOOMMMM!** Smoker was driving down the streets of Loguetown in a three-wheeled motorcycle called the Blower Bike. He was looking to cut off Straw Hat before he could escape.

"_Damn this storm," _Smoker thought to himself as he continued riding.

**-x-**

"Which way is the sea?" Zoro wondered.

"I don't know," Luffy admitted, "The rain makes it hard to tell where we're going."

"THERE THEY ARE!" came a loud voice as a squad of marines raced after the three pirates.

"Damn, they're like roaches!" Zoro complained, "you wanna stop an fight 'em?"

"There's no time for that," Sanji replied. But then the cook's eye turned into a heart as he spotted someone blocking their path. "WOW! WHO IS THAT!"

Sergeant Major Tashigi was standing in front of the three Straw Hats with her head bowed. "I didn't know you were Zoro," said Tashigi, "and a pirate as well. You lied. YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER LIAR!"

"OH GREAT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THAT GIRL?" Sanji demanded, always one to defend a woman, even if she was a marine.

Zoro ignored him and stepped passed both Sanji and Luffy to confront Tashigi, she'd insulted his honor by calling him a liar. His word meant a lot to him, especially since he had two oaths that he was trying to fulfill. "You never asked me what my name was," Zoro reminded her. "So I never lied."

"I'LL NEVER ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE TOWN WITH SUCH A LEGENDARY SWORD!" Tashigi yelled, "I'M GONNA TAKE THE WADO ICHIMONJI FROM YOU!"

"Come and get it," Zoro taunted her as he held the white handle of his trusty sword.

Tashigi drew her _Shigure_ and charged at Zoro, who quickly drew _Wado Ichimonji _and blocked the strike,** KLANK! **The two of them were in a deadlock until Tashigi slid her sword along Zoro's then pulled it back and lashed out at him again, **KLANG!** But Zoro blocked that attack too.

"YOU JERK! YOU CAN'T FIGHT A GIRL!" Sanji scolded him.

"I CAN HANDLE MYSELF!" Tashigi snapped. "THIS IS A FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO OF US! I DON'T NEED ANY HELP! SO BACK OFF!"

"You heard her, get out of here," Zoro instructed.

"Let's go," Luffy decided as he ran passed the two swordsmen and continued towards the harbor.

Sanji went to follow him, but couldn't resist getting in a parting shot, "ZORO, IF YOU HURT HER, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!"

"Tashigi's got one!" one of the marines exclaimed as they watched the two swordsmen in a deadlock.

Zoro took on hand off of the handle of _Wado Ichimonji_ and still managed to keep Tashig's sword at bay, he reached to his side and drew _Yubashiri_. **KLANK!** Tashigi pulled her sword back and blocked Zoro's attack, then lunged backwards and blocked Zoro's follow-up attack, **KLANG!**

Zoro's sword slid along Tashigi's, but she quickly slipped around him and lashed out at him again. **KLANK! **But Zoro managed to block the strike with _Yubashiri_ and then followed up with a series of two-sword strikes, **KLANK! KLANG! KLANK! **"RAAHH!" Zoro let out a loud yell as he pushed Tashigi backwards and backed her into the front of building. **KLANG! KLINK!** Using a two-sword combo attack Zoro knocked Tashigi's sword away from her then stabbed _Wado Ichimonji_ into the wall beside her head, **CHUNK!**

Tashigi stared wide-eyed at Zoro knowing that she'd lost, "I hate to disappoint," Zoro growled, "but you'll _never_ get this sword from me."

Zoro pulled his sword out of the wall and put both of his blades away. The marines were just as shocked as Tashigi, "I can't believe she lost," one said.

"I've never seen her lose before," another commented.

"Now I think it's time for me to go," Zoro decided as he turned and walked away.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME?" Tashigi yelled after him. "IT'S CAUSE I'M A GIRL, ISN'T IT?"

"_You're lucky Zoro, being born as a man," said Kuina after their last duel._

"IT'S PATHETIC THAT YOU CAN'T FIGHT ME BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN!" Tashigi shouted. "IT'S EMBARRASSING! YOU MAY BE PHYSICALLY STRONGER, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE GUTS! THIS SWORD ISN'T JUST FOR DECORATION!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP JUST FOR ONE MINUTE!" Zoro hollered back at her. "YOU LOOK EXACTLY LIKE A FRIEND OF MINE WHO DIED A LONG TIME AGO! STOP IMITATING HER!"

"EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME!" Tashigi argued, "IT'S NOT MY FAULT I SOUND LIKE YOUR DEAD GIRLFRIEND! I'M NOT IMITATING ANYONE, YOU JERK! DO YOU EVER THINK BEFORE YOU TALK?"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?" Zoro demanded.

"Uh… should we stop them?" one marine wondered.

"I'm not getting in the middle of that," the other replied. The marines settled for watching the two bicker and argue.

**-x-**

"THE HARBOR IS UP AHEAD!" Luffy exclaimed. But then they noticed a figure standing under the Loguetown Arc.

"Now what?" questioned Sanji.

"Straw Hat Luffy," said Smoker as he stood in front of his Blower Bike blocking their path. "You're finally here. I already told you that you couldn't make it to the Grand Line without beating me first."

**FWOOSH!** Smoker's arms turned to smoke then flew at Luffy and grabbed him.

"Hey, what's this?" Luffy wondered as he struggled against the smoke.

"I ate the Smoke Smoke Fruit," Smoker answered, "I can turn my body into smoke whenever I want."

"YOU BASTARD!" Sanji yelled as he charged Smoker and swung his leg THROUGH Smoker's head. Sanji stared in surprise as Smoker's head reformed around his ankle.

"Don't mess with me, you weakling," Smoker growled as he reached up and grabbed Sanji's ankle, "WHITE BLOW!"** FWOOOSH!** One of Smoker's smoke arms flew out and slammed into Sanji's stomach and sent him crashing into a building behind him, **WHAM!**

"SANJI!" Luffy exclaimed, he glared at Smoker and lashed out his rubber arm at him, "GUM… GUM… PISTOL!" **FWOOOSH!** Luffy's fist went through Smoker's stomach.

"WHITE OUT!" Smoker became a cloud of smoke and surrounded Luffy. **"You're not worth thirty million berries."** Came Smoker's voice from behind Luffy, he grabbed Luffy's head and leapt up into the air, pulling Luffy along with him, then came crashing down to the ground on top of him, **WHAM!**

Smoker shoved Luffy's face into the ground and reached back for the handle of his Jutte. "Your luck's run out," said Smoker.

**WHAP! "I think not,"** came a voice as a hand grabbed onto the handle of Smoker's Jutte and kept him from drawing it.

"It's you!" Smoker realized as he stared up at the green cloaked figure behind him.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Luffy, who's face was still pressed into the ground, "Who's there?"

"The Government is after your head," Smoker growled.

"The world is still waiting for our answer," said the man. "STORM!"

**-x-**

**FWWWOOOOOOSSHHHH! SHHHWOOOOO! **A huge green wind came out of the sky and blew through the streets Loguetown sending everyone flying. Buggy, Alvida, and Buggy's Pirates went flying. Cabaji, Shogi, Mohji, and Richie were all sent flying. Smoker, Tashigi, and the Marines were sent flying, civilians were sent flying. Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro were sent flying. Ricky, Nami, and Usopp had to cling to the railing of the Going Merry to keep from going flying while the Merry itself went floating away from the shore. **WOOOOOSSHHH!**

**-x-**

As soon as it started, the wind stopped and the rain started again. Zoro staggered out of a pile of debris and spotted Luffy lying on his back nearby, "Come on!" Zoro snapped as he grabbed the captain and ran for the harbor. Sanji popped out an alley a moment later and ran after them.

"What the hell was that?" he wondered.

The reached the harbor and spotted the Going Merry off in a distance. "NAMI! WAIT FOR ME!" Sanji swooned.

"HURRY UP AND GET ON!" Usopp yelled.

Zoro and Sanji stood at the edge of the harbor and realized Luffy was missing, "GUM… GUM… ROCKET!"** BWWOOOOINNG!** Luffy came flying over and slammed into Sanji and Zoro, **WHAM!** The three of them went flying through the air towards the Going Merry.

"Heads up," said Ricky as he dove to the side, Nami heeded his advice and dove out of the way, Usopp wasn't so lucky, **WHAM!** Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji came crashing down and landed on top of the sniper. "That went well."

"You're here!" Nami exclaimed as she smiled down at the four pirates who were in a heap on the deck.

"Set a course for the Grand Line," Ricky advised, "If you'll excuse me, I've gotta remove some bullets from my chest."

**-x-**

Smoker stood at the harbor watching the Going Merry sail off, a pirate had escaped Loguetown on his watch. And the reason for the pirate's escape was standing on a nearby roof.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" the cloaked man laughed. "GO! If that's what you want, then by all means make your dream happen!"

"Why did you help him, DRAGON?" Smoker demanded.

"It is not our place to come between that man and his chosen path Smoker," 'Dragon' replied.

"Set sail, we're going after him," Smoker decided.

"What?" questioned Masshikaku.

"We'll enter the Grand Line," Smoker stated.

"But Captain, you can't abandon your post on this island!" Masshkaku protested, "What would command say?"

"Tell them, 'I don't care about orders'," said Smoker.

"I'm coming with you!" Tashigi announced as she held up her sheathed sword. "I have to hunt down Roronoa Zoro! He's mine! I _will_ get revenge!"

"**I'm coming too," **came the voice of Lieutenant Devo as he staggered up to his feet. He was still bleeding from the wound on his stomach. "That scumbag One Eye won't get away with what he did to me!"

**-x-**

Buggy the Clown's Pirate Ship sailed away from the Loguetown Harbor. "What a flashy gust of wind," Buggy commented. Alvida and his entire crew had managed to escape the island. "I have never been one to turn down luck that's in my favor."

"Where are we headed now?" asked Alvida.

"The Grand Line!" Buggy decided. "We're gonna get that Straw Hat is it's the last thing we do!"

"Ugggghhh," Cabaji, Mohji, Shogi, and Richie all groaned, the four of them had all suffered injuries from their fight with Ricky. They weren't as excited about facing the Straw Hat's again as Buggy was.

"The Grand Line… how nostalgic," Buggy commented.

**-x-**

"It feels like the Merry's gonna capsize!" Luffy exclaimed as they sailed through the storm towards the Grand Line. The Straw Hats were all standing out on the deck in the rain. Ricky had removed the bullets from his chest and was still wearing his black and red cowboy hat, which did wonders at keeping the rain out of his face.

"HEY LOOK, A LIGHT!" Nami pointed out as she spotted a lighthouse off in a distance. "It's one of the guideposts. The entrance to the Grand Line is somewhere ahead."

"The Grand Line is somewhere ahead…" Luffy repeated with a smile.

"What now?" Nami asked the Captain.

"Do we have to go there in the middle of a fricken hurricane?" questioned Usopp who was clinging to the mast. Everyone just smiled in response.

"I think we should say something to mark the occasion," Sanji decided as he lugged a barrel of grog onto the deck. Sanji lifted his leg up and placed it on the top of the barrel, "I'm gonna find the All Blue."

Luffy put his foot on the barrel next to Sanji's, "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."

Zoro put his foot on the barrel on the other side of Sanji's, "I'll become the World's Greatest Swordsman."

Nami put her foot on the barrel next to Luffy's, "I'm going to draw a map of the world."

Usopp put his foot on the barrel between Nami and Zoro's, "I'm gonna become a Brave Warrior of the Sea."

Ricky grinned and put his foot on the barrel between Luffy and Nami's, "I'm gonna find the One Piece."

"LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE!" Luffy exclaimed. The six of them raised their legs up into the air and brought them down on the barrel, breaking it opened so they could celebrate the start of the next part of the journey.

**-x-**

**Reverse Mountain:**

**-x-**

"NAMI! EMERGENCY!" Luffy shouted sometime later as he hung upside-down from the sheep figure head. "THE LIGHT FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE WENT OUT!"

"It's a lighthouse, it goes off sometimes," Nami explained as she exited the galley wearing a pink raincoat. "You have me as a navigator, so don't worry. I know the way."

"Hmm, you're right," Luffy agreed as he hung on the end of his 'special seat' seemingly oblivious to the storm raging around him.

"Would you get off of there?" asked Nami. "You can't swim… remember?"

"You just want my Special Seat!" Luffy refused.

"WHO SAYS I WANT IT?" Nami snapped. She calmed down and looked at the chart, "But we might be in trouble soon if this chart's to be trusted."

**-x-**

Luffy and Nami went in the galley where the rest of the crew was sitting around the table. "Look at this," Nami called out as she slammed the chart down on the table, **WHAP! **"As unimaginable as it may seem, the entrance to the Grand Line is UP a mountain!"

"A MOUNTAIN?" Usopp looked terrified at the prospect, his eyes bugged out, his head tilted to the side, and his mouth dropped opened.

Zoro and Sanji only seemed to be surprised, but Luffy was grinning. Ricky was grinning too, but because of Usopp's amusing over-the-top reaction.

"I couldn't believe it either," said Nami, "but the chart's clear. The mountain is riddled with small canals. We'll somehow have to go over it."

"Cool! Sounds like fun!" Luffy commented.

"Even if there is a canal, there's no way a ship can go up a mountain," Zoro reasoned.

"But that's what the map says!" Nami insisted.

"MISS. NAMI'S ALWAYS RIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO NAVIGATING!" Sanji snapped.

"Yeah, but remember, you stole that chart from Buggy the Clown," Zoro reminded them. "Can we trust it?"

"So we use the canal to go up the mountain," Luffy repeated, "It must be a Mystery Mountain!"

"Do we really have to go up the mountain?" questioned Zoro, trying figure out another way. "Maybe we can just go around it and get into the Grand Line that way."

"THAT'S A BAD IDEA ZORO!" Luffy scolded him.

"He's right, there's a reason for that," Nami said.

"WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO UP THE MOUNTAIN CAUSE IT'S THERE!" Luffy exclaimed.

**POW!** Nami punched him in the head, "THAT'S NOT IT!"

"Hey Ricky, would you mind contributing?" Sanji growled at the First Mate.

Ricky, who was calmly leaning back in his chair with his feet up and his cowboy hat tilted downward so it hid his eye and eye patch, grinned, "Finally remembered I'm here did ya?" Ricky asked as he tilted his hat up.

"That's right!" Nami realized. "You've been to the Grand Line before. How to we get in? Do we really have to go up a mountain? How is it possible?"

Ricky sat up and looked at the chart, it showed the World's four oceans separated by the Grand Line and the Red Line. An area in the exact middle of the map was marked Reverse Mountain. It had five canals on it that met at the top and each split off and went down into different oceans. One was from the North Blue, one was from the South Blue, one was from the West Blue, and one was from the East Blue. The final canal was from the Grand Line itself.

"The mountain's called Reverse Mountain," Ricky explained. "We go up it through this canal here." Ricky pointed to the canal going from the East Blue to the top of the mountain. "Then we go down through this canal here…" Ricky pointed to the canal that went from the top of the mountain to the Grand Line. "…and we'll be in the Grand Line."

"But how's it possible?" asked Nami. "Water current isn't supposed to flow UP."

Ricky shook his head and smiled, "You think that's weird, wait till we _actually_ get there," he told her. "Waves are constantly crashing into Reverse Mountain from every direction. There's so much water pressure that the current just goes straight up to the top. I've been through Reverse Mountain four different times. I assure you that it's possible."

"So it's a Mystery Mountain!" Luffy exclaimed.

Ricky sweat-dropped while Nami hit him on the back of the head, **WHAP!** "Weren't you listening?"

"Why can't we just go around it?" questioned Zoro.

Ricky pointed to the map at two strips of water that ran parallel to the Grand Line, "We can't go in by going around the mountain because of the Calm Belts. They…" Ricky trailed up and looked up at the crew and seemingly counted them. "Luffy… Zoro… Nami… Usopp… Sanji… if we're all in here," Ricky glanced beside the table and noted that no one was manning the whipstaff and steering the ship, "Then who's driving?"

"OH NO!" Usopp shrieked as he bolted to the window to see where they'd ended up while no one was steering. "HEY! The storm is gone!"

"Yeah, the weather's calm," Sanji observed as he looked out the window beside Usopp.

Ricky's eye went wide, "Uh oh."

"Uh oh?" repeated Zoro.

Nami paled and bolted over to the window pushing Usopp and Sanji too the side, "UH OH!"

"Uh oh," said Luffy, since everyone else was saying it.

"WE'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE!" Nami yelled.

"No we're in _big_ trouble," Ricky corrected her.

"What's going on?" Zoro demanded.

"We've drifted into one of the Calm Belts," answered Nami.

Ricky slowly got up from the table, "Zoro, you're about to find out why we can't go around the mountain." Ricky calmly walked out of the galley while the others raced out after him.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed, "So this is the Calm Belt!" The sky above them were clear with the exception of a few spares clouds. There wasn't even wind blowing.

"Look! The storm's all the way over there!" Usopp pointed out. The dark clouds from the storm they had previously been sailing through were behind them. It looked like the course was clear.

"What's so bad about this?" asked Zoro.

Ricky came out of the storage room carrying a bunch of oars, "Just shut up and start rowing," he instructed.

"Why do we have to row?" questioned Luffy. "This isn't a rowboat."

"Why do we have to go back to the storm?" Usopp inquired.

"JUST SHUT UP AND DO WHAT HE SAYS!" Nami ordered, she wasn't as collected as Ricky was.

"I don't get it," said Zoro. "Why do we have to leave? We're going around the mountain. Shouldn't we be in the Grand Line?"

"IF IT WAS THAT EASY _ANYONE_ COULD DO IT!" Nami shouted. "The Grand Line is surrounded by the two Calm Belts where no wind blows, that's why they're calm, because there's no wind."

"You're right, there's no wind at all!" Luffy realized.

"BECAUSE THIS SEA IS…" Nami started to yell but was cut off when the ship started shaking. **THOOOM!**

"Too late," said Ricky as he turned and went back into the storage room.

"WWWWAAAAHHH! AN EARTHQUAKE!" Luffy shouted.

"DON'T BE STUPID!" Usopp scolded him. "WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN!"

**THOOOOM! **The Going Merry suddenly rocketed up into the air and the Straw Hats stared in shock as they suddenly found themselves on the snout of an ENORMOUS Sea Monster.

The sea monster they were on was one of many. It was HUGE and made the Going Merry seem in comparison. It looked like a cow-spotted dinosaur with a huge blue fin going down its back and was roughly the size of one.

Also down in the Calm Belt was a gigantic orange puffer fish, a huge red centipede with pincers about ten times the size of the Merry, a pink and white bird with a freakishly long neck that actually went up above the monster they were on, a green and yellow striped snake-like creature that had the snout of an anteater, a huge dark blue cobra-like monster, and finally a yellow frog which was small in comparison to the other monsters but was still many, many times the size of the Going Merry.

"THEY'RE HUGE!" Luffy yelled as he stared down at the group of monster.

Zoro and Sanji were both speechless as they stared down at the enormous monsters. Usopp was so scared he was literally foaming at the mouth.

"IT'S A NEST OF NEPTUNIANS!" Nami screamed as she clung desperately to the central mast.

Ricky calmly walked out of the storage room carrying a length of rope. "See, what did I tell you? _Big_ trouble." Ricky walked over to the main mast and tied the rope around it. This was made difficult by the fact that Nami, who had been clinging to the mast, was now clinging to him.

Ricky took advantage of the situation and tied the other end of the rope around Nami's waist. "Wh-what're you doing?" Nami stammered.

"If the ship goes flying, you won't," Ricky explained, "hold onto the rest of the rope, I'll get us out of here."

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji had regained their wits and had each grabbed one of the paddles that Ricky had brought out earlier. "When the monster dives, we start rowing as fast as we can," Zoro instructed the others, "Got it?"

"RIGHT!" agreed Luffy.

"Actually, I'll take care of this," Ricky volunteered as he picked up the remaining paddle then surprised everyone by leaping out of the Going Merry and onto the snout of the gigantic sea monster.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Nami shrieked. Ricky was supposed to be the rational one, but he just jumped out of the boat onto the snout of a sea monster. He was just a tiny speck compared to it.

"Hold onto something," Ricky advised as he took his paddle… and started tickling the monster's snout next to one of its huge nostrils. "Tickle… tickle… tickle…"

**SNIFF!** Monster sniffed as it felt something tickling its nose. **SNIFF! SNIFF!** The monster's nose twitched but the tickling continued. **"AAAAAHHH… AAAAHHH…"**

"**AAACHOOOOOOOOO!" **The monster let out a monstrous sneeze and the Going Merry was sent flying.

"YOU COULD'VE TOLD US WHAT YOU WERE PLANNING!" Sanji yelled as the Going Merry went rocketing through the air while Ricky was left standing on the snout of the Neptunian.

The Merry tumbled through the air and flipped over, with the exception of Nami, who was tied to the mast, everyone was sent flying and desperately grabbed onto part of the ship to keep from falling off.

**RIBBIT!**

"AAAAHHH! THE MONSTER LIZARD IS FOLLOWING US!" Luffy screamed. The yellow frog was chasing after the Going Merry, intent on eating the ship and its occupants.

Suddenly something whizzed passed him, it took Luffy a second to realize that it was Usopp and another to realize that he was about to fall into the enormous frog's mouth.

"OH NO! USOPP FELL OVERBOARD!" Luffy shouted. **SWOOOP!** Luffy shot his arm out and grabbed onto the back of Usopp's overalls, **WHAP!** Luffy yanked Usopp back to the ship right as the frog was about to close its mouth around him.

The Straw Hats screamed as the Going Merry went flying and eventually came down back in the storm outside of the Calm Belt. **SPLLOOOOSH!**

"Thank goodness all we have to deal with is a storm," Luffy commented as, he, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp laid flat on their backs on the deck. Nami was slumped against the mast with the rope still around her waist.

**TMP!** Ricky landed on the deck and pulled his eye patch back down. "And that, is why we can't go around the mountain," he said calmly.

"Okay… I get it now…" Zoro told him.

Nami untied herself and a second later she had pounced on Ricky and was strangling him. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"

"Ned's ticklish," Ricky replied.

"NED?" Nami repeated, she stopped strangling him.

"The Neptunian we were on," Ricky explained. "I've seen it before. It's the biggest one in the Calm Belt and acts as the King of the Neptunians."

"AND YOU NAMED IT 'NED'?" questioned Nami, she seemed more upset about Ricky's name for the monster than his escape plan.

"I didn't see any of you guys getting close enough to a Neptunian to name it," Ricky retorted. "Actually… Usopp, you can name the frog if you want."

Usopp got over the shock of seeing the monsters in the Calm Belt and nearly being eaten and actually thought about it. "Hmm… how 'bout Gamakiiro?"

"Yellow frog? That's redundant," Ricky commented.

"You're worse than he is!" Nami snapped.

"How about Super-Yellow-Lizard-Monster?" Luffy suggested.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Nami yelled. "IT'S A FROG, NOT A LIZARD!"

"Can we forget about naming the lizard? We have a more pressing matter to attend to," Zoro reminded them. "We still have to figure out how to go UP the mountain."

"Oh that, no problem," said Nami. "Compared to the monsters in the Calm Belt, going up the mountain wasn't so bad. Ricky was right before, the powerful currents constantly crashing against the mountain will be enough to get us up to the top."

"But we'll have to be careful," she continued. "If we miss the canal, we'll crash full-force into the Redline. The Merry wouldn't survive the impact and we'd all drown, whether we can swim or not."

"So it really is a Mystery Mountain," Luffy realized, causing the crew to sweat-drop.

"He's never gonna get it," Nami sighed.

"YOU'RE AMAZING MISS. NAMI!" Sanji swooned.

"I've never heard of a ship going up a mountain," said Zoro.

"I've heard something," Sanji commented.

"About the Mystery Mountain?" questioned Zoro.

"No, the old rat-bag told me stories about the Grand Line," Sanji answered. "He said it's very tough to get in there and most pirates don't survive."

"Nami… I'm sure your comfortable and all... but if it wouldn't mind… GET! OFF!" Ricky demanded, who was still on his back under the navigator.

Nami sprang up and pulled up the hood of her pink raincoat so no one could see her flushed face.

"HEY! I SEE THE MYSTERY MOUNTAIN!" Luffy announced to the others as he stared off the side of the ship. "IT'S HUGE!"

"WWAAAAHH! THAT'S INSANELY HUGE!" Usopp screamed.

"There it is, the entrance the Grand line," said Nami.

"Wow! Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's bigger than I thought!"

"I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE TOP!" Usopp shrieked. "TI'S TALLER THAN THE CLOUDS!"

"There's a fog surrounding everything!" Nami pointed out. "I can't see anything!"

The Merry suddenly floated into a stronger current and picked up speed. The current was carrying them straight to the mountain. "WE'RE BEING SUCKED IN!" Luffy shouted. "GRAB THE WHIPSTAFF AND HOLD THE RUDDER STEADY!"

"WE'RE ON IT!" Usopp and Sanji replied as they ran into the galley and grabbed the whipstaff and tried to steer the ship in the extremely strong current.

"NAMI! WHERE'S THAT ENTRANCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?" Luffy yelled.

"There's a crack in the mountain ahead of us," Ricky pointed out. "The canal's in there."

"NAMI, GIVE US A DIRECTION!" Usopp called out as he and Sanji fought against the whipstaff.

"Straight ahead!" Nami told them.

"You can't be serious!" Usopp protested.

"Trust me!" Nami assured him.

"Have we made it?" asked Luffy. "Is that the canal entrance?"

"Yup," Ricky answered as he calmly stared in front of them.

"Am I dreaming?" Zoro wondered as he stared through a pair of binoculars. "This is impossible. The stream is going up the mountain."

In front of them was the canal. It was marked with a series of ten gates. "We have to make our way through those water gates just right!" Nami called out to the others. "Or we'll crash into the Grand Line and be smashed into a million pieces!"

The Merry continued forward but started pulling to the left, if this kept up they'd crash.

"WE'RE DRIFTING OFF COURSE!" Luffy exclaimed. "WE'VE GOTTA GO MORE TO THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT!"

"Right? You mean starboard?" questioned Usopp as he and Sanji struggled against the whipstaff. The rudder was hard to control with the powerful current going around it.

**Kreeeek-KRACK!** Usopp and Sanji pushed too hard and the whipstaff snapped off and sent the two pirates tumbling into the wall of the galley.

"THE RUDDER!" Luffy, Zoro, and Nami screamed.

"That's not good," Ricky commented, he was still calm even in the desperate situation. "If we don't change course we're gonna hit the first gate."

"GUM… GUM… BALLOON!" **BOING! **Luffy leapt out of the ship and inflated himself like a balloon, he slammed into the first water gate and then the Going Merry slammed into him, **SPLOING!**

But Luffy's crazy plan worked and the Going Merry bounced off of him and changed course and was now going straight through the first water gate.

"LUFFY!" Ricky and Zoro shouted at the same time. Ricky practically tore his eye patch off and stretched his arm out and then yanked it back. The Devil's Eye's telekinetic ability grabbed hold of Luffy and mimicked Ricky's action, yanking Luffy back to the ship.** WOOOSH!**

"GRAB HOLD!" Zoro called out as he held out his hand while Luffy came flying towards him.

"Zoro… duck," Ricky warned the swordsman as he dove to the side. **WHAM! **Luffy slammed into Zoro and both of them went crashing down to deck. Ricky tugged his eye patch back down and stood up. He was able to maintain control due to his brief usage of the eye's powers.

"YEAH! WE MADE IT!" Usopp and Sanji cheered as they got back up and did a dance. Everyone was safe and they weren't going to crash.

The Going Merry was going straight ahead and in no time had gone through all ten water gates and was now on its way up Reverse Mountain. The Going Merry went up and up and up, higher and higher and higher. They passed the gray storm clouds and just kept going up into the sky.

Nami smiled and threw off her pink raincoat. They'd just sailed right out of the storm and were heading to the top of the mountain.

"WHOA! LOOK HOW HIGH WE ARE!" Luffy exclaimed, "WE'RE IN THE CLOUDS!"

"We're going _passed_ the clouds," Ricky corrected him, "We're _above_ them."

The Merry kept going and the Straw Hats spotted the top of the mountain up ahead of them. They saw the water splashing upward where all five canals met. Sanji sat on top of the galley in front of Nami's tangerine grove. Usopp clung halfway up the central mast. Zoro leaned against the railing on the front deck, Nami was leaning against the railing opposite him. Ricky was leaning against the back railing of the front deck of the ship, he was slightly to the side so he could see passed Luffy who was sitting on his special seat.

"It's amazing! We've done it!" Nami exclaimed, "We've reached the summit!"

**FWOOOOSH! **The Going Merry kept sailing and reached top of the mountain and was launched up into the air and over the mountain.

"WOOOHOOO!" Luffy cheered as the Merry flew through the air… then came down.

"WAAAH!" Five of the Straw Hats were left dangling up in the air due to the Merry's sudden descent, Ricky had the foresight to grab onto the railing he was leaning against and was still in the same spot when the other five came back down and landed safely in the previous spots.

Now they were going down the fifth canal into the Grand Line. They'd made it. "We're going down!" Ricky called out.

They were one step closer on their journey, they were on their way down to the Grand Line, on their way to make their dreams come true.

"_To be the World's Greatest Swordsman," _Zoro thought.

"_To find the All Blue," _Sanji said to himself.

"_To draw a map of the entire world," _Nami thought.

"_To become a Brave Warrior of the Sea," _Usopp recited in his mind.

"_To find the One Piece,"_ Ricky thought with a full-blown smile on his face as he pinned his hat on his head with his arm.

"_To be King of the Pirates,"_ Luffy said in his head as he pinned his straw hat to his head with his arm. "I CAN SEE IT! THIS IS THE GREASTEST SEA IN THE WHOLE WORLD! IT'S THE GRAND LINE!"

Ricky smiled as he stared through the clouds at the legendary ocean that was awaiting them and whispered, "I'm home."

"LET'S GOOOO!" Luffy cheered as the Going Merry continued on its path downward and took them closer to their dreams. New adventures, new friends, and new enemies awaited the Straw Hat Pirates in the Grand Line.

**-x-**

AND THAT'S THE END! The East Blue Saga is over and Straw Hat's have finally made it to the Legendary Grand Line!

But there's plenty of adventure ahead, keep your eyes peeled for my next story, _**Another Nakama II**_**. **I'm going to be taking a month-long break between now and when I post the first chapter of the second story in the series. I'll use that time to make some headway on that story and get used to my new semester in college. But I promise, the first chapter of _Another Nakama II_ will be out on** September 22nd 2010**. During that time, feel free to go back and re-read this story now that you've reached the end. I pride myself on my detailed descriptions and made a point to include numerous hints about Ricky's true identity throughout the course of the story.**  
**

'Till Next Time…

Peace!


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